


Clone Wars: The Way of the Jedi

by Surya_Rolt



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Ahsoka "I'm younger than you but have it more together" Tano, Ahsoka Tano Needs a Hug, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anakin "big brother" Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker Angst, Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Brother-Sister Relationships, Brotherly Bonding, Clone Bois Banter, Count Dooku - Freeform, Everyone Needs A Hug, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Let Them Talk, Obi Wan "overworked dad" vibes, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Pre Maul Era, Protective Padmé Amidala, honestly when is he not though?, things go wrong and things get hectic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:41:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 63,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23964055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Surya_Rolt/pseuds/Surya_Rolt
Summary: After a diplomatic mission to Shilli goes horribly wrong, Anakin, Obi Wan and Ahsoka must come to terms with their shortcomings as Jedi and what it means to act with - or against - the will of the force...(AKA me coping with the final season with a brand new Clone Wars story that may or may not be the beginnings of a "fix it" AU where people acknowledge some stuff a little sooner...)
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Obi Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 104
Kudos: 421





	1. Shots Fired

Ahsoka's fingers ran along her shoto - her last line of defence.

She started attacking it with her tools, fine tuning adjustments on the intensity of the laser and its energy field. When faced with life onboard a star cruiser, the most infuriating thing is the lack of a designated sun telling you when to sleep. It was up to you to decide whether your body needed it or not. So while her clone squadrons slept heavily in their barracks, Ahsoka sat in the empty mess hall - messing with her light-sabres until their rendezvous with the senators.

This ritual of hers was one among the many habits she had picked up from her master. Before she became his apprentice, such menial tinkering didn't interest her in the slightest. Now it was a lifeline. Cleaning her weapons acted as a mental line of defence. Doing something with her hands allowed her to think clearly. Not quite like meditating - more like letting her mind drift to sort things out.

She could feel that Anakin was having a restless night - she had heard him muttering in his sleep in the General's quarters next to hers. Ahsoka had asked about it but he shook her off as usual. So the next best thing for both of them was space. Honestly, she thought he would've been excited to see Padme again after so long. She knew that she was.

But something about his force signature emanated worry. This wasn't unusual for those who knew him well enough, but still - it was cause for concern. Especially when it regarded his... partner? Girlfriend? Force forbid... wife? Ahsoka chuckled to herself, running through all the possibilities of what Padme and Anakin called each other.

"Commander," Ahsoka glanced up to see Fives and Tup standing in the mess hall doorway. "Mind letting us in on the joke?" Fives finished.

Ahsoka gestured them to the seats beside her table.

"That no one on this bucket knows how to sleep," She supplied.

"Granted, most of 'em are the 501st," Tup said, sitting down opposite her. "All of us have itchy trigger fingers compared to General Kenobi's crew."

Fives held up his hands in protest. "Hey now, that's just because they're a bunch of snobs."

"Don't let Cody hear you say that - he'll have you on clean up duty for 5 rotations." Ahsoka jokingly warned, making a final adjustment on her sabre.

Fives puffed out his chest and stroked his stubble, mimicking Obi-Wan. "Oh Cody, my sweet summer child. You have done well to bring this nay-sayer, Fives, to justice."

His rusty accent was so horribly good that the other two couldn't contain themselves.

"Fives, your a braver trooper than most." Tup heaved.

"And so trusting..." Ahsoka added on deviously.

As Fives comprehended the full weight of Ahsoka's statement, Rex walked up behind him. "What 'nay-sayer' are you referring to, trooper?"

Rex's sudden presence scared Fives at attention, his hand hitting his forehead in an instinctive salute. "Sir yes sir! I mean... who?"

Ahsoka struggled to stay on her seat between fits of laughter with Tup banging his head on the table. Fives grinned at the both of them then turned around to face Rex.

"What brings you 'round here, Captain?" He asked.

Rex folded his arms and gestured to the display of rowdiness.

"Came to see what all the commotion was about."

Ahsoka looked up at him and in between short breaths managed to get out, "It's fine Rex, we were just checking our weapons."

Rex glanced down at his own twin pistols, and brought them out. He supposed that all of the 501st had the same sort of intensity about cleaning their weapons. The amount of action they'd seen compared to other legions was staggering at times. They knew better than anyone that your weapon was your life. Skywalker drilled that mantra into their skulls enough times - even though he stated that General Kenobi taught him first.

Tup shuffled over for Rex, allowing him the seat opposite the kid. He mentally corrected himself - Commander. She had grown up quite a bit since they first met over two years ago. She'd seen just as much action as himself in half the time. He once told her that experience outranked everything and had begun to wonder at what point did he stop outranking her?

He checked the barrels silently as the other three continued their conversation without him. Grabbing a piece of cloth from the table, he began going through the motions. Although they were headed for an important diplomatic mission, it involved Separatist forces. You could never be too cautious around the enemy. Drop your guard for a second and it's all over. A malfunctioning weapon meant death in those situations.

" - Shili's your home world, right commander?" Rex caught the tail end of Tup's sentence. The question snapped him out of his routine as he lightly brushed the trigger.

In under a second, his blaster had gone off, Tup and Fives had shot to the ground and Ahsoka had ignited her light-sabre. The sounds of the original shot and the deflection reverberated throughout the mess hall corridors. The wall behind Rex boar a decorative burn mark.

Rex gently put the gun down, switching the safety on. All of them were deadly quiet as hordes of brothers flooded into the mess hall, blasters at the ready. General Kenobi strolled in at the head of the group.

"What in the blazes happened here?" Obi-Wan asked.

Rex froze. After a three way stare off between Tup, Fives and Ahsoka, Fives had been outmatched. All of them stood up at attention.

"I-" Rex tentatively began.

"We were testing out weapons and uh... a new alarm system sir." Fives spoke up confidently.

Obi-Wan stared at the four of them bemusedly. "Well, I can assure you that you alarmed everyone here."

Tup laughed sheepishly. "We realise that now General - it won't happen again."

The horde started to thin out as their brothers became disinterested, some still sniggering at the four of them. The four just sighed in unison.

"Oh and Ahsoka, Captain Rex!" Obi Wan called back, springing Ahsoka and Rex back to attention. "You're needed on the bridge. We've just been contacted by the Chancellor regarding the negotiations. We're a few clicks from our rendezvous with Senators Organa and Amidala. I suggest you get up there soon."

The two sighed for the second time. "Guess we'd better get going Rexter," Ahsoka nudged his arm. Rex stared amazed at Tup and Fives.

Fives grinned back at him, giving him a quick wink. "Don't thank me - but you do owe me one."

"I guess you really are the nay-sayer now." Tup muttered hiding a cocky smile, to which Fives responded with "Shut up, Tup..."

"Received and understood," Rex conceded. "So long as we promise never to speak of this again. Still - thanks."

Fives and Tup gave them relaxed salutes as the Captain and Commander began their trek up to the bridge.


	2. Fears of a Sleepy General

The sounds of blaster fire startled young General Skywalker awake. His head jolted off the holographic map, illuminating the darkened bridge. A few busy clones glanced up at the bedraggled Jedi Knight. Anakin stumbled to his feet.

He yawned, rubbing the bags under his eyes before stretching. The dull ache in his brain slowly started to clear as his mind registered what the alarm clock was. Sensing no danger, he looked towards a trooper working at the closest station.

"Time until we rendezvous with the senators?" Anakin drawled in a deep morning voice.

"About 9 clicks, sir," he responded.

Anakin sighed dreamily. The rendezvous couldn't come soon enough. The sooner he could see his wife's beaming face again, the better. Sleep always came easier for him when she was around. But at the same time, with each second that passed he felt an uncomfortable knot of dread tighten in his stomach. Nightmares had been giving him hell for the last week, leading up to the negotiations for Shilli.

For any non-force sensitive, feelings of restlessness before seeing your secret lover would be considered normal - expected even. However, with Anakin's track record, signs of a bad nights sleep could easily translate to death and misfortune for himself and those around him. That or, it could mean that he'll be a sleepily Jedi for the next week. In these situations, he aired on the side of caution.

General Skywalker ruffled his hair back into place and readjusted himself to look down at the holo-maps again. The blue light reflected the image of a grandiose palace, with shell like towers popping out of the ground. For the fourth time, he counted the exits (6 on the first floor, 3 miscellaneous balcony openings), the staircases (4 outside, 2 main inside) and the landing pads (1 transport shuttle). This was the building the negotiations would take place in. This was the building causing him so much anxiety.

If he could memorise the maps and the layout of the palace before he even arrived, he would be prepared for every alternative if the meeting went south. He would know every escape route, to get Padme and Bail Organa out of there. Trusting himself to do so, was vital to easing his conscience.

The Shilli system not only had access to important hyperspace routes but also had the grand Shillian army occupying most of their designated planets. Unlike their peaceful counter parts in the Kiros system, the Shilli people were known to be fierce warriors and hunters. Their lands were plentiful with climates perfect for growing food crops. The meeting had to go their way - this late into the war, they couldn't afford it not to.

"You look... well," Obi Wan entered the bridge, a smirk playing on his lips.

Anakin righted himself to face his old master, judging his obvious lack of "wellness".

He yawned before giving Obi Wan the satisfaction of a reply.

"Yeah, morning to you too," he said half heartedly. The snarkiness in his voice was drowned out by its own huskiness.

"I assume you've studied the briefing for this mission?" Kenobi asked.

"Uh huh. Select senators from The Republic and The Separatists will meet with the Shillian parliament to discuss alliances. The meeting is to be treated as neutral ground, however the senators will be allowed two guards of their choosing."

"And any heavy artillery reinforcements are to be kept at least a jump away from the Shilli system to reduce the likelihood of any immediate battles occurring." Obi Wan concluded for him. Anakin groaned.

"Who thought this was a good idea? As soon Shilli picks a side, the Separatists are gonna play dirty, no matter who they ally themselves with." He blurted out.

"You're defeated before we've even begun."

The younger general shook his head, concern furrowing his eye brows.

"I don't know, Master. Something doesn't feel right to me..." he said.

Obi Wan glanced over his former Padawan. The lightly shaded bags under his eyes and his mop of hair indicated that he'd be neglecting sleep again. This wasn't uncommon for Anakin Skywalker, the hero with no fear (until it comes to bed time). Still, it was cause for some degree of worry within the Jedi Master. Anakin rubbed his eyes and folded his arms, taking a quick deep breath.

"I know - that doesn't matter right now. What matters is that we know our roles. So long as we're there, we can stop any disasters before they even happen." General Skywalker chuckled to himself "I bet you're excited you get to be the "Great Negotiator" again, huh?"

Obi Wan's heart sank. Anakin didn't know about the changes to the mission. He stroked his beard in preparation for the oncoming storm. If he was already worried, then he was not going to like this...

"Anakin about that... You and I aren't leading this mission." He explained.

Anakin looked through Obi Wan, piercing blue eyes struggling to comprehend him.

"What do you mean?" He questioned slowly.

Obi Wan paced around to the other side of the holo-map to face him, creating a physical barrier between them.

"I mean, we won't be the senators' guards for this mission. We will be stationed outside the palace with the transport."

Anakin unfolded his arms, leaning over the holo-table incredulously. He almost lost all his ability to speak, breathing out but saying nothing.

"Then who -"

"The Chancellor appointed Ahsoka and Rex to lead the mission. They will be the senators guards in the meeting," Obi finished for him.

Anakin did a double take, stepping back from the table. A spree of micro emotions played across his face: confusion, anger and concern being the main three. As soon as the words had left Obi Wan's mouth, Anakin's mind had conjured up images of the last few times Ahsoka and Padme had been on a diplomatic mission together. One pictured them being smuggled into the heart of the Separatist home world. Another image made his hairs stand on end, as he recalled the footage from R2D2's memory bank of Ahsoka about to be beheaded by the leader of Death Watch.

"No... Why - why would the Chancellor think that's a good idea?" Anakin asked himself more than anyone else.

Obi Wan resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the typically "Anakin" response to such information.

"He thought it would be best to demonstrate the range of our army: both Clones and Jedi. He also knew that Ahsoka was born on Shilli and believed that they may be more receptive to one of their own people being present."

Anakin's stunned silence cut through the bridge.

Obi Wan huffed, trying again to reach his former Padawan with some sense.

"I believe that it's the right call. Both Ahsoka and Rex are capable fighters and with Ahsoka's cultural ties here, we have an edge over the Separatists. We've got to use what little we have to convince them of our good intentions."

"I know that but - " just as Anakin attempted to make his rebuttal, the bridge doors snapped open, revealing the two people in question.

"- I mean, I didn't promise that we'd never mention it. Oh, hey Master," Ahsoka greeted, obviously switching gears from her previous conversation with Rex. "General," Rex added with a prompt salute. Anakin remained silent, looking to them with an inkling of a wince. She casually noted his rugged appearance, confirming her fears that he had in fact, slept on the Bridge.

"Ahsoka, Captain Rex," Obi Wan said to politely break the deafening silence they'd gate crashed. Ahsoka bowed her head to him. She glanced back and forth between the two generals.

"So...uh what did we miss? Did they cancel the negotiations?" Ahsoka pried.

Rex was steadfast beside her, arms behind his back at ease. However, the tension in the room was uneasy. From the somber mood around the table, he also assumed something must've happened to halt the mission.

Obi Wan looked to Anakin. Anakin stared at the holo map. Giving up with a sigh, the older General turned towards the two closest to the bridge doors.

"For this diplomatic mission, two guards will be allowed to escort the senators within the palace walls. They will ultimately be the senators last line of defence," Obi Wan stated. Ahsoka started to piece together why she and Rex were called there.

"You two will be the senators defenders. Should the meeting go awry or should discussions become... " Obi Wan searched for a milder word "...unsavoury; you are to protect the senators and escort them to our transport outside of the palace where Anakin and I will be stationed. Is that understood?"

Out of instinct Rex saluted at attention and said "Sir, yes sir!" His surprise seemed to grow more as he considered this new development in the mission. Ahsoka's eye markings furrowed. She wasn't confused and she definitely wasn't worried about the content of the mission. It was all stuff she'd handled before and she'd worked with Padme and Bail too many times to count.

What concerned her was the defeat she sensed in Anakin. The worrisome mixture of fear, anger and...shame. She sensed shame within her master. He wouldn't admit it, but she knew how protective he was of his friends. Especially herself and Padme.

She didn't blame him for it of course. She felt it too.

Padme, Anakin and Obi Wan were the family she never got to have on Shilli. Padme was her older sister, constantly giving her confidence and reassuring her of herself. Obi Wan was her uncle, sarcastic and stern but not above noting her achievements. And Anakin - he strayed the line between her father and older brother; teaching her, teasing her and testing her. Protecting her where he could.

She used to mistake this behaviour for him not having faith in her. Each time she'd call him out for it. Why don't you don't trust me, she would say. Now Ahsoka had more of an idea what it was. She felt it when battling pirates with the younglings and protecting the Mon Cala Prince. She felt it when Master Piel died in her arms. She felt it when she was hunted by Trandoshans with Omar, Jinx and...

For all her previous complaints, Ahsoka couldn't quite blame him for it anymore. And for all his insistence and pulling rank, Anakin had been holding it back recently. An effort she greatly appreciated. Here she could see that in full. His silence was held so he would not say something that might dishearten her. Yet she could see the depth of his concern.

"Master Obi Wan... sorry to ask, but why these sudden changes? Wouldn't it make more sense to have the two more experienced Jedi stand in on these important negotiations?" She compiled her sentence together carefully, holding Obi Wan's gaze. Anakin looked up once again at his Padawan, a confused gratefulness settling over him.

Obi Wan pursed his lips, hearing Ahsoka's plea for her Master's peace of mind. "Sadly this is out of our hands. The Chancellor specifically asked for the two of you as he believes it would give us the greatest 'moral advantage' in the negotiations."

Anakin felt the tinge of hope die as quickly as it came. His shoulders slumped once more. Still, Ahsoka's recognition for his concerns did bring his attention back to the conversation.

"It's… flattering that the Chancellor has so much faith in us…" she said. The Chancellor had never shown her much respect in the past, even as a fully fledged Jedi commander. She suspected that to him, she was merely the kid that followed around the poster boy for the Jedi Order (aka, her Master).

"Yes, well in this case, we do too," Obi Wan said before eyeing off Anakin to follow his lead.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll run you through the mission briefing and emergency procedures before landing, Snips," Anakin rushed, caught up in his worries again. If it was appropriate, Obi Wan would've rolled his eyes. How could his attention seeking, 'desperate to prove himself' former Padawan still be so oblivious when reassuring his own student?

But to his surprise, Ahsoka took it in stride, quipping back, "Of course - then I can make improvements to your procedures." That got a tired chuckle out of Anakin who eased up a bit, walking over to her and clapping her on the shoulder.

Occasionally, Obi Wan marvelled at their interactions. It had taken a decade before he and Anakin had fallen into that kind of… social fluidity. When actions and words became as easy as breathing around one another. He was almost envious of it. Then again, he imagined that they had to trust each other pretty quickly when learning and teaching on the battlefield.

From below the bridge, a trooper piped up.

"Generals - we are now dropping out of hyper space."

Anakin's heart skipped a beat. For all his fears and worries and queries, he knew exactly what that meant; Padme.


	3. Arrival of the Diplomats

Padme felt a little bubble fill up her stomach.

It only grew as they marched down The Resolute's corridors, flanked by armed guards. Their marching feet begun to fall out of step with the thudding in her chest and she gently shook her head. Seeing her husband like this had that effect on her. She'd so quickly lose her senatorial composure and act like a giddy, lovestruck teenager. Noticing her agitation, Bail gently bumped her shoulder.

She snapped out of her daze as if caught in the act.

"I'm looking forward to seeing them too," he said.

A bubble escaped her as Padme sighed. "Yes…sometimes it feels like these are the only times we ever see them…"

Even under pressure, Padme was always careful with her wording (unlike Anakin). Her actions were harder to mask. She was good at reading other people but being disingenuous was dangerous territory for her. It felt better to just be careful than to outright lie.

"Hopefully it won't turn out like the rest of 'those times'," Bail laughed.

That got a nervous chuckle out of Padme. If these negotiations ended the same way all the others had, she knew it would definitely turn into one of "those times" where blasters were fired and lightsabers were let loose.

"We can always hope," she settled on.

Before she realised it, they were staring at the Bridge doors. She took a measured breath as they hissed open, revealing her secret family.

Among them - of course - was Anakin.

Instinctively, she locked eyes with him and reciprocated his elated grin. His eyes glowed intensely but the heaviness in his stance told a different story. He took a breath, her name on his lips.

"Padme!" Ahsoka called out, arms wide and at the senators side in a instant. Obi Wan coughed. She quickly adjusted her attitude and bowed. "It's good to see you, Senator Amidala; Senator Oragana." She winked at them as a weird middle ground between Obi Wan's traditional values and Anakin's lack of them.

Padme responded in kind, bowing her head with a knowing smile. "You too, Ashoka."

"Well I think it's great to see you," Anakin mumbled, lifting his mechanical hand to his mouth. Whether it hid his amusement or a slight jealous disappointment, Padme couldn't quite tell. Obi Wan sighed, stroking his beard. Still, Padme saw his shoulders relax. The tension on the Bridge eased up simply because of the familiar dynamic. In that moment, she realised how much she missed it.

"Yes, we're glad you're both well senators," Obi Wan wrapped up. "As for our mission, I assume you've been briefed by the Chancellor?"

"That you and Master Skywalker would be escorting us into the negotiations?" Bail asked.

Padme bit her tongue. They hadn't actually heard anything from the Chancellor … but she had definitely been commed by Anakin once or twice.

"Ah… About that - " Obi Wan started.

"Ahsoka and Rex will be leading the mission," Anakin cut in. She locked eyes with him and everything became clear; his bags, the disappointment. These circumstances meant he had less time with her and more time to worry about what could go wrong. And he wasn't enthusiastic about that. She glanced at Ahsoka, her eyes downcast.

"Shilli's your homeworld, isn't it?" Padme asked. Ahsoka looked up then slowly said "Yeah, it is."

Padme nudged Bail and carried on the thought. "Then I suppose we'll have to rethink our strategy." She said thoughtfully. Bail nodded firmly, stoic but determined. Ahsoka's nod was far more eager, thankful that her presence would help the negotiations.

Just like Anakin, Padme had a soft spot for Ahsoka. She was a, headstrong young girl taking on problems far bigger than herself - of course Padme cared for her; she remembered being her. Over the last two years, Ahsoka had just overshot her in height and had gained a grounded sense of maturity. Knowing why she was so mature for her age deeply concerned her.

It was part of the reason she fought so hard to advocate for peace.

At the start of the war, it was because she wanted to find the perfect solution - to stop the argument, to get people listening to one another with reasoned and empathetic discussion. But as the battles dragged on, and the politics greyed, it became a more selfish act than that. If she lost a neutral world to the Separatists, that planet would become the new front line her friends could die on. The only thing she could do to protect Anakin, Obi Wan and Ahsoka, was to play her part, whether she wanted to or not.

These negotiations couldn't go wrong - she had to give her family the best fighting chance for survival.

"We should review our arguments with Padawan Tano then," Bail finished.

Padmé placed a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder, and glanced past her to see Anakin. "You won't miss her for a few clicks, will you Master Skywalker?"

Anakin laughed, crossing his arms over his chest. "More like in a few clicks she'll start missing me."

Ahsoka scoffed, turning around to give them the stink eye. "Honestly Skyguy, I think I'll manage."

Obi Wan walked past her, patting her on the other shoulder. "Good; perhaps you'll learn a thing or two about the subtle art of negotiation."

Ahsoka's eye markings furrowed and she pursed her lips, chewing on his remark as he left the Bridge. Padmé and Bail looked at their new pet project excitedly.

"Having second thoughts, Snips?" Anakin chuckled, giving her a reassuring pat on the valley of her montals.

She examined him, on the verge of revealing a more genuine answer.

"... just a few clicks." She surrendered before Bail and Padme's hurried her off the Bridge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I got told to post this to A03 by a reader on fan fiction.net, I just didn't expect to get such an immediate response! Thank you for reading, I really appreciate any comments and reviews (it'll help to keep me going, especially after the series finale...)


	4. Descent Into Honesty

As soon as they dropped out of hyper space, the Bridge was buzzing with action. The muttering of landing codes and permits reached Anakin's ears just as the doors hissed open. The planet of Shilli filled the viewport. An array of warm yellows and soft pinks swirled around the planets surface. Just above them, hovered its closest moon, its cloudy atmosphere covered in thick purples and greys. It was nice enough in it's own somber way but the colours were too cold for his tastes. Shaking off the unpleasant feelings, he focused back on Shilli's heat and warmth. It was a truly beautiful planet.

The beauty of it all was diminished by the single Separatist Cruiser flanking The Resolute.

It was strange to see the ship without the accompaniment of laser fire. Anakin had to fight a rush of adrenaline whilst staring at it.

"This is going to be fun," he heard his Padawan sidle up beside him, glaring from the cruiser to the planet below: her planet.

"I see you escaped," Anakin quipped. She raised an eye marking.

"If I escaped, it would've been more interesting. I hope the entire mission isn't like that,"

"For once, I'm hoping this mission is as boring as possible," he said.

She folded her arms, like Obi Wan would; like an adult would. The contemplative look on her face only strengthened the comparison.

"We'll be on guard the entire time. That's something we can control…" she said, still staring out the viewport.

"And the rest we can't control?" He asked, more curious about her answer than anything else.

"We just gotta be lucky," she mumbled.

"Don't let Obi Wan hear you say that." Anakin chuckled. "But yes - too much of it comes down to luck."

Ahsoka looked down at her feet.

"… and trust…" she mumbled.

Anakin looked down at her. She was nowhere near overtaking him yet, although she was gaining on Padme in the height department. It reminded him of how young she still was. In the midst of training her how to stay alive, he rarely got the chance to teach her other important skills, like how to quell and conquer self doubt. Not that Ahsoka had much "self doubt" to begin with, but she knew he had always believed in her. It was hard to remind her of that when he was busy either training her, leading her or protecting her. Still, he knew that his bad habits manifested as the doubts she felt he had about her.

"Ahsoka… I have absolute faith in you."

She glanced at him, her eyes still hazy - trapped in her own thoughts. Anakin took a deep breath. For that moment, he needed to put aside his own concerns and be her Master. He sent her reassuring waves through their bond.

"I know you will be as brave and intelligent as ever. I also know that I can get a bit…"

"Cranky? Overbearing?" Ahsoka supplied.

" - WORRIED sometimes," Anakin finished. The display of honesty and self awareness seemed to shock her more than the genuine praise.

"But that's all it is, Snips. I'm just worried about you, like I always am. And that says more about me than it does about you," he lowered his voice, sensing Obi Wan approaching the Bridge. Such scandalous displays of attachment would surely land him with an infamous Kenobi lecture.

She stared at him, fixated on the little moment of revelation.

"… I" before she could even begin a cohesive response, the Bridge doors whooshed open once again as Obi Wan walked up to them. Ahsoka and Anakin parted for him, allowing him to break up the conversation.

"We're boarding the transports now. Gather everything that you need - we won't be getting reinforcements for another rotation."

The three of them sighed in unison as they exited the room.

"I don't like diplomatic missions…" Ahsoka huffed.

"This may be the only time I agree with you on that," Obi Wan said, his crisp stride putting Ahsoka at a speed walk. After one last turn down a corridor, they reached to vast hanger bay. Amongst all the fighters and bombers and troop carriers, sat a lone Senate Transport Shuttle. Captain Rex and the Senators were already standing outside waiting for them.

"Get the engine running Rex. We're ready to head down." Anakin ordered. Rex gave him a casual salute before heading for the cockpit. Padme folded her arms with a sly smile. "We've been ready for a while. You're the ones running late…as usual." She added.

"Maybe you're just early and got too excited," Anakin muttered, leading her up the ramp. The two exchanged a playful look before breaking it off. It felt so natural to slip back into flirting with her. The added danger almost made it more tempting to try. Still, the disapproving look from Obi Wan and the strangely encouraging grin from Ahsoka was a good sign to stop. Ahsoka made her way to the cockpit as Anakin sat back in the passenger seats along with Padme, Bail and Obi Wan.

As funny as it felt to him letting someone else pilot them down, he couldn't help but feel a small giddy pride well in his chest at how naturally she'd adopted that same trait.

"We'll need to land just outside the palace. Once we reach the atmosphere, they should signal us over." Bail confirmed.

"Roger Roger!" Rex called from the front. There was a muffled sound from the cockpit of someone slapping armour.

"He meant we understand!" Ahsoka chimed back.

Padme giggled. Some of the emotional weight he'd carried from before lifted off of him. He knew that Padme and Bail would be amazing and a little surge of confidence assured him that they'll be alright. One thing he knew for certain was that the closer they got to the planet's surface, the better he felt.


	5. Diplomatic Trials

"How does it feel to be the Republic's finest protectors?" Rex asked his commander beside him. His voice echoed around the Palace halls. Ahsoka gave him a tired chuckle.

"I think we were the only ones the Council could afford to send…" she muttered, imagining other formidable Jedi Masters like Shaak Tii filling her place.

"Don't be so modest. You two are the best guards we could ask for" Padme assured them. Bail Organa walked alongside her with his blue senatorial robe billowing out behind him.

"These negotiations can become quite tense. If we are to persuade them to join the Republic, they must know they can trust us. Your presence should help a great deal in that regard…"

Padme turned to Ahsoka. "Also, good company is always welcome," she smiled at them briefly before silently falling back into step with Bail Organa. Ahsoka remembered listening to Padme in the senate hearings. She seemed so powerful and sure of herself. Her voice could inspire great change. But before the speeches she was quietly tense – a focused ball of nerves. It was a little bit strange seeing her like that since Ahsoka usually saw Padme as a confident and calm force. But at the same time it drew her closer because it made her seem so much more genuine. She cared so deeply, so she used all that negative energy for a positive change. It was something she really admired about the senator.

It was easy to understand why she was chosen for such an important meeting. The longer the war had been drawn out; more and more neutral worlds were under threat of occupation by either side. Shilli had now become one of those worlds but instead of just giving in to the Republic or the Sepratists, Queen Tolame had called for a meeting with both sides. It was on peaceful terms, of course, to determine which side of the war Shilli would support. Like many before her, she did not wish for innocent blood to be spilt when it could be avoided. Shilli was a large planet, which was well situated in hyperspace lanes and brimming with natural resources. Bases here would be integral for both parties.

They reached the towering golden doors, flanked by two palace guards.

"Remember; if things turn ugly like the Mandalorian negotiations, Master Kenobi and Master Skywalker are right outside the palace," Ahsoka reminded Rex

He tapped his com-link knowingly.

"Already got them on standby," He replied. She nodded.

"Good, if we're lucky we won't need them."

"And if not?" Rex asked.

Ahsoka groaned quietly, "then my Master will never trust me with a diplomatic mission ever again…"

The great palace doors inched open to reveal the Shilli throne room. The room was divided in two by an aisle down the middle. Ahsoka and Rex escorted the senators to their seats facing the Separatist entourage, perpendicular to Queen Tolame and her loyal guards by the throne. Warm light shone through water-coloured glass behind her and the air, although stiff, was humid. Ahsoka took in a deep breath of her home. The familiarity was comforting – the two magna-guards flanking the Separatist senators were not. If things did go wrong, those droids would be a significant pain in the back.

"Welcome, Republic Senators," the Queen addressed them. Both the senators bowed in respect and took their seats.

The room went silent. Any more small talk between the Republic senators and the Queen would be viewed as showing bias. The absence of action began to irk Ahsoka. Sure, she had come a long way since her early days as a padawan but she still found it hard to cope with complete silence. This had been made even worse by the war and by the battles she had fought. She was beginning to forget how to just be in the moment and appreciate the silence. Her nerves quickly escalated as she caught the Queen's eye.

How long had the Queen been staring at her? As she grounded herself in the force she could sense the Queen's intentions – she genuinely wanted what was best for her people. Meeting her gaze, Ahsoka smiled and nodded; a small acknowledgement of the cultural bond they shared. The Queen relaxed and turned to address the rest of the senators.

"This meeting will now begin. Whomever I feel is worthy enough to form an alliance with, will gain access to Shillian trade and our local hyperspace lanes. You may present your arguments now."


	6. Big Steps and Bad Signs

There were many things that Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi could do. He could lead an entire army into battle. He could face the diabolical General Grievous for the millionth time and live to tell the tale. However when it came to coping with his former Padawan pacing the entire length of the Shilli Palace steps, he fell remarkably short.

As Anakin reached the bottom of the steps for the fifth time since the senators had been sent into the palace, Obi Wan decided it was time for him stop. He put a calming hand on his former Padawan's shoulder and turned him around.

"Anakin, the Palace isn't going anywhere. There's no need to get so worked up." he jokingly reassured him. Anakin shrugged off his hand.

"How aren't you worked up about this? There's so much riding on these negotiations. The place is swamped with Separaists forces and the Chancellor decided to send in a Padawan – my Padawan - as the senate guard," he said, pacing on the spot again.

"And how proud you must be that your Padawan was selected for this mission," Obi Wan said. He had to remind him that his apprentice would take his worrying the wrong way.

Anakin sighed stopping in his tracks. "Look I didn't mean it like that. It's just…"

"Just what?" Obi Wan said, daring to open up the conversation.

"It's just that she's still learning, Obi Wan. Last time on Mandalore, negotiations ended up with Pad- Senator Amidala in a fire fight and Ahsoka almost getting executed by Death Watch. The Chancellor should've sent in someone more experienced…"

So that's it, Obi Wan mused. Honestly, he could've just guessed why his former apprentice was so on edge. He was always tense whenever he wasn't in control of a situation, especially when it involved those closest to him.

"Anakin, they'll be alright. The council has faith in Ahsoka's experience, not to mention that Padme and Bail Organa are among the best negotiators the Republic has to offer. Have faith that it will turn out in our favour - and if it doesn't, Rex is on standby to tell us straight away."

Anakin looked up at him with what Obi Wan had come to identify as concern. He'd seen that look too many times over the course of his apprenticeship with the boy.

"You're right, Master. But something still doesn't feel right …" Anakin said. A breeze of warm wind rustled through the lush green shrubs lining the palace steps, almost validating his concerns. Obi Wan wanted to disagree with him, but he too felt a foreboding presence ever since they arrived on the planet. Anakin was talented with his ability to sense the near future so Obi Wan wasn't completely prepared to just shake off the feeling. They had to stay vigilant.

Anakin gave a huff, shaking off the moment and begun ascending the steps with renewed purpose. Obi Wan inwardly winced. "Not again…" he mumbled.


	7. The Voices of Freedom

"The Republic will make sure to adhere to the wishes of your kingdom, your highness. We respect the cultural and political values of our allies."

Bail Organa stated simply. Ahsoka could hardly remember the last matter they had discussed but Bail's stern and velvety voice re-peaked her interest.

"The Republic are known liars and hypocrites who work with other liars and hypocrites of the Jedi order," squawked a feisty Separatist senator.

Her older counter part grasped her arm and pulled her back down into her seat.

"Let the Republic senators speak. Your turn will come," Queen Tolame waved her hand in the air for silence.

"Yes your majesty. Pardon the senator, she is youthful and… passionate," the older Separatist senator spoke up, his soft deep voice drawing the focus of the room.

Bail and Padme finished off their introductory arguments, driving home messages of freedom and respect. The Queen kept glancing over at Ahsoka every so often as if checking she was still there. Ahsoka resisted the urge to pick at her nails or shift her weight from one foot to the other. With great effort, she and Rex stood as steadfast as the palace statues.

"The Separatist party may now present their arguments," the Queen announced.

The older man from before stood up slowly. His pruned beard was peppered with silver hairs and his eyes had a hazel glow. After a deep purposeful breath he spoke.

"Thank you, Queen Tolame, for letting us address the Shillian court. The Separatist alliance prides itself on our unwavering commitment to our ideals of strength and transparency. So to uphold these ideals, my fellow senators and I will not be representing the Separatist alliance today."

An uneasy muttering spread throughout the throne room.

"Why are they here then?" Ahsoka whispered to Rex.

He shrugged his shoulders. "You're asking the wrong person, commander. I wasn't trained for this kind of warfare."

The senator continued.

"Unlike the Republic, our leader wished to attend this meeting in person to show his respect to Queen Tolame and to demonstrate the importance of the Shilli system to the Separatist alliance. I humbly present to the court, Count Dooku."

Ahsoka drew in a sharp breath. The Republic Senators shifted in their seats - now feeling inadequate for the absence of their Chancellor. She felt Rex move his hand closer to his blasters. She noticed that she'd subconsciously done the same with her sabers.

The golden palace doors opened to reveal the Count himself. He waltzed into the aisle of the throne room. His sinister presence filled the empty space, clouding Anakin and Obi Wan's force signatures, which she had felt clearly just before.

He respectfully bowed to Queen Tolame. "Your highness," he said.

She nodded at him in return and gestured him to his seat by the other senators.

As he strolled over Ahsoka caught his eye for a millisecond. It was clear he was up to something. Something just had to go wrong on the one mission where Ahsoka desperately needed things to go right.

"It is an honour to be here. As leader of the Separatist Alliance, I have high hopes that you will consider aligning yourself with us. We will ensure you economic prosperity during these harsh war time conditions and we offer protection and security from Republic and Jedi forces." The Count seethed all the spite he could into those last words.

"Protection?" Padme hissed incredulously. Ahsoka mimicked her sentiment, eyeballing down the Count, willing him to spontaneously combust.

"Why yes, Senator… Amidala, is it? Protection from the Jedi. Not only have Republic forces caused countless fatalities and injuries during this war but also immense damage of property and infrastructure. The Separatist alliance will ensure that these destructive forces will not come to Shilli. Neither will the Jedi."

He now glared at Ahsoka and pointed a dangerous accusatory finger at her. "The peacekeeping hypocrites would no longer be able to steal away a generation of force sensitive children under Separatist protection. You have lost a great many children to the Jedi order, have you not?" Dooku said, his question partially answered by Ahsoka's presence.

The Queen's guards nodded solemnly. Queen Tolame lifted a hand to her lips in deep thought.

"This is true," she sighed sadly.

Ahsoka dared not speak. She was angry but she wasn't sure who she was angry at: the Count, the Queen… or even the Jedi. The possibility of what would've happened if Ahsoka had been raised on Shilli had bothered her before but not in such a confronting and public way. The Jedi order was her home but the instinctual bonds she felt to this planet and its people ran deep.

"No more children would be brainwashed to forgo their family ties for some ancient, crumbling religion. This is my personal promise to you, your highness." The Count concluded to a stunned court. He went to the place no other senator would have the right to go to. But as a former Jedi himself, he had a valid say in this matter.

The room was stiff. Queen Tolame eventually spoke up.

"What the Count says is indeed the truth. A great many of our children have been taken away by the Jedi." Her somber tone was reflected by the court's heavy silence. Padme shifted uncomfortably in her seat, unable to deny her claims. It was a first for Ashoka to see Padme so at a loss of what to say. As a senator, she knew she had no right to speak on behalf of the Jedi or the children's families yet she needed to rebuke Count Dooku's arguments somehow.

Ahsoka knew what had to come next. She took a shaky breath before locking eyes with the Queen.

"Your highness," Ahsoka said. "May I address the court?"

The Queen and the majority of the senators turned to face her. Padme's face was pale with apprehension, her woody eyes pleading for Ahsoka's help. The Queen silently gestured for Ahsoka to take the floor. As she cautiously stepped forward she could feel a dozen desperate and despising eyes on her back. She knew she was way out of her depth with this. Fighting a hundred battle droids? Easy, she could do it in her sleep (which had happened before). Having to concisely defend your entire order and lifestyle while at the same time expressing your conflicting feelings towards your home publicly? That was difficult.

As she reached the center of the room she stood still. Her hands began to shiver; her pulse rising just like it did before a battle. The Queen stared her down with a solemn unspeakable sadness. Ahsoka represented everything that Count Dooku had just claimed about the Jedi Order. She was living proof of everything the Order had done to this planet. She tried to get words out of her mouth. What was she thinking? She wasn't cut out for this. Everyone was counting on her to say something but she couldn't even say a single word.

Padme caught her eye. She gave her the briefest smile then calmly lifted her hands and lowered them. She mouthed something.

"Breathe."

Ahsoka nodded. She closed her eyes, took in a deep breath and gathered her thoughts. What was the one thing that Count Dooku was wrong about?

"I was three years old when the Jedi Order took me in. I still remember my village. I remember the smiles, the red grasses, all of the colours. But most of all I remember an overwhelming sense of community. When master Plo Koon found me I felt an instant connection. At three years old, I knew I belonged with him and with the Jedi. My village was proud. I am proud. The Jedi order is my home."

Ahsoka exhaled heavily, recognizing the pattern of her breathing and quickening it for her next point.

"However that doesn't mean I've forgotten my village or my people. I strive to make them proud by becoming the best Jedi I can be. I have saved villages just like mine from Separatists forces who don't care about civilian lives. They haven't been programmed to care. I couldn't have saved anyone without my Jedi training."

"And with the Jedi, you can't even reconnect with your own people!" The younger fiery senator chirped.

"That's not true!" Padme rose from her seat. The other senator began to retort before being silenced by Queen Tolame. Curiosity sparked in her eyes as her mood began to shift, intrigued by Padme's statement. "Speak, Senator Amidala."

Padme shot Ahsoka a subtle determined grin. She had said just enough to get the ball rolling for the Republic's rebuttal. And Padme would make sure they finished off strong.

"Ahsoka Tano lead the rescue mission for your Kirosi brothers and sisters. She suffered with her people through imprisonment. She freed them from the Zygerrian slave traders. Slave traders that were hired by the Separatists themselves to enslave the Kirosi Togrutans."

Sepratists senators cried out in anger at the accusations as Shili guards and representatives murmured their doubts and queries.

"The Sepratists were responsible for that?"

"That girl was the Jedi rescuer?"

"The Republic saved our Kirosi brethren?"

Padme jumped off of the new energy from the discussions in the room and continued her argument with renewed passion. "She was a hero to her people and a symbol of hope in their time of need. Senator Roshti must have told you about her heroics upon allying the Kiros system with the Republic."

The court fell quiet awaiting the Queen's confirmation. Queen Tolame leaned in further, inspecting Ahsoka as if truly seeing her for the first time. "He did indeed. However I never would have thought she would be so young."

A new buzz spread around the Republic side of the court as the tide of the negotiations began to turn. The Separatist senators sunk into a shameful silence upon hearing the Queen's remark. Padme's voice turned quiet. A hush spread around the court in order to hear her final closing statements.

"Ahsoka Tano was able to save her people because of the Jedi Order. And if you still doubt her deep connection to her people and culture, just look at her attire."

Ahsoka as well as the rest of the court looked down at her. Her lekku went a slight shade darker upon realising that all eyes were back on her.

"Instead of donning traditional Jedi robes, Ahsoka Tano honours her culture and her people by wearing the appropriate Shili garbs. Even the great Master Shaak Tii still wears Shili attire. None of your children ever forgot their home or their family. If anything, they honour you every single day by being in the Jedi Order."

Queen Tolame had been staring thoughtfully at a spot on the ground. She finally looked up to face Padme, then turned to face Ahsoka. Ahsoka stood up straighter and took the time to look deep into the Queen's amber eyes. Confronting as it was, Ahsoka needed to ensure that Padme's words rang true. She did honour her home. She remembered her culture. She felt that bond with her people.

Then the Queen smiled. Her eyes glistened, almost as if she were on the brink of tears. "You are right senator, she does honour us." Queen Tolame looked up to address her court. "All of them do."

The Queen then stood up, walked down the steps from her throne, passed her guards and…bowed. Her guards and the other Shili representatives in the room dutifully followed her lead. Padme beamed at Ahsoka and copied the motion out of respect, followed promptly by Bail Organa and the rest of the Republic senators. Before Ahsoka could say anything, half of the entire throne room was bowing to her. She glanced bemusedly at Rex in a state of shock. He brought out a hand from behind his back and gave her small thumbs up before motioning her to return the gesture.

She brought up her hands and bowed slowly in return, as a Jedi and a Togrutan.

"Thank you, your highness," she managed to say in her disbelief.

Queen Tolame put a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder before addressing to the court. "This meeting is adjourned. Would all senators please return to the throne room at sundown. I will announce my final decision then."


	8. The End of Diplomacy

The Separatist senators gathered themselves, the sting of defeat hovering over them. As they left through the golden archway, Ahsoka caught a glimpse of Count Dooku. What she wanted to see was a pouty old man face from being utterly destroyed by Padme's rebuttal. What Ahsoka did see was a sinister smirk spreading across his thin lips. A chill crept its way down Ahsoka's back.

She couldn't have any diplomatic mission be easy, could she? This one wasn't necessarily easy but at least it looked like the outcome would go their way. The Republic would gain another ally and the Seppies would lose - again. Still, the way the Count was smiling irked her to her no end. He wouldn't take no for an answer.

Just as Ahsoka shifted to go and follow the old creep, Queen Tolame called to her.

"Padawan Tano! I would like to have a word with you."

Oh, poodoo, Ahsoka thought. She couldn't just leave the Queen hanging after everything she had said. Padme and Bail were by the Queen's side, deep in discussion. They were probably working out the terms of their would be alliance before the rest of the senators were invited back in.

"Yes, your highness?" Ahsoka said walking up to the trio. She threw her hands behind her back so they couldn't see her fidgeting.

The Queen smiled warmly at her. "You truly have made your people proud today, Ahsoka. If you weren't a Jedi, you would make a fine diplomat."

Ahsoka quickly resisted the urge to laugh. "With all due respect your highness, my skills are best spent on the battlefield. These two are much more equipped to fight battles in the senate than I am." Ahsoka said gesturing to the senators.

"As Master Kenobi would say, in a battle of negotiation, I'd be unarmed."

"Then your master has a lot to learn from you," the Queen replied.

"Don't tell Master Skywalker that, Ahsoka. He wouldn't let Obi Wan hear the end of it," Padme said. Ahsoka laughed, forgetting her wariness about the situation.

"Now you've made it sound tempting!" Ahsoka chuckled.

The four of them laughed together, the Queen suddenly relaxing for the first time that day.

An urgent beeping erupted from Ahsoka's com link. The laughter died instantly.

Ahsoka lifted her wrist and activated the call.

"Rexter? What's going on?" Ahsoka commanded.

There was a slight buzz of white noise before Rex's voice came across the com-link.

"It's Dooku. I've lost sight of him. He's not in the hall with the rest of the senators."

Ahsoka sucked in a quick breath.

"Have you told Master Skywalker yet?" She said.

"I tried to reach them, but no luck. The signal is being jammed by a long range transmission." As soon as Rex finished his sentence Ahsoka's mind leapt into action.

"Ok. Rex? Evacuate all the senators out of the building and back to the republic ships now. Once you're out, get Anakin and Obi Wan to do a full sweep of the palace. Our main priority must be the Shilli and Republic senator's safety."

"Copy that, Commander," Rex responded.

Ahsoka looked back to the trio.

"I'm sorry your highness, but we've go to get you out of here." Ahsoka said, starting to move towards the throne room doors.

Bail and Padme nodded grimly following after Ahsoka. The Queen stood still.

"Why? We need to finalise negotiations with the Separatists," she said steadily.

Ahsoka sighed in exasperation.

"The Separatists don't care about negotiations anymore. Count Dooku won't let this planet ally itself with the Republic so he will take it by force anyway," Ahsoka urged, reaching for the Queen's hand.

The Queen backed away, frowning and puffing out her chest in a dignified manner.

"I will not be forced out of my own palace. Count Dooku would not dare attack me, especially here of all places," she proclaimed. Her guards stepped forward from the throne to stand by her side.

Ahsoka desperately looked to Padme for help. Padme nodded, turning to face Queen Tolame. "Your highness, your planet needs you alive. They need your guidance; they need you to lead. All Count Dooku needs to do in order take Shili is to kill you and to reinstate a new puppet government, loyal to the Separatists."

The Queen's expression turned dark. "How do you know this will happen?"

"Because he's done it before. Your highness, don't let the same fate befall your people. You must stay safe for them by coming with us now," Padme begged.

Queen Tolame hesitated. Ahsoka could sense the fear for her life and her people. Bail Organa spoke up, offering his hand to her.

"Your majesty, it's time to go."

Cautiously the Queen took his hand and followed behind them as they all turned to run, the guards flanking the back with Ahsoka leading the charge. As they hurried down the corridors lined with sculptures and other assorted treasures, Ahsoka noticed that there were no signs of the other senators.

"Good job, Rex," she muttered.

As they turned their first corner into the expansive ballroom, Ahsoka was stifled by a dark presence in the force. She tried to reach out to Anakin but the shadows had encompassed all her senses.

They skidded to a halt, Ahsoka raising her arms before the senators as a barrier. Padme gasped. There he was. Waltzing towards them, his hands comfortably behind his back with glowing hateful eyes. Ahsoka unhitched her light sabre.

"Your highness, you seem in a bit of a rush. Have you made your decision already?" He seethed.

Ahsoka felt her pulse rising again, but this time her hands were deadly steady. She felt the Queen tense up behind her.

"I have decided to ally Shili with the Republic. They have proven themselves to be honest and well intentioned," she said curtly.

The Count sighed, calling his light sabre to his hand. "I insist that it would be in your best interests to reconsider, your highness. There's still time."

No one moved. Count Dooku's response echoed around the circular chamber. Ahsoka stood firm, collating a mental map of the room while she could.

The Queen remained silent.

"Very well." He said, igniting his sabre and striding up towards them.

Ahsoka responded in kind.

"When you see an opening, get them out of here," she ordered the guards. They nodded silently. Concerned, Padme glanced back to Ahsoka.

"You're coming with us," She said. Ahsoka didn't reply.

Padme's breathing quickened.

She reached out to grab Ahsoka's shoulder but one of the guards picked her up effortlessly.

"Wait!" She cried out but it was too late.

Ahsoka charged in, kicking off of one of the giant pillars to leap high into the air. With a boost of speed from the force, her emerald green sabre came crashing down on the Count's head. He blocked with his blood red sabre, a one handed grip on the hilt.

His other hand reached out to the group running across the room, ducking in between the columns below the balcony. Ahsoka knew what he meant to do and broke off their locked sabres to kick at his feet. He refocused his attention back on her, flipping gracefully to dodge the kick. Too late, Ahsoka noticed he had jumped back far too close to where the guards were almost at the exit. He thrust out his hand, knocking them off balance with a shove from the force. A sickening crack rang out as Bail Oragana knock his head against a nearby pillar.

The flanking guards rushed to the front, electro-tipped spears at the ready. The Sith Lord continued forward, pulling back his fist. Like a rag doll, the guard flew towards him, crying out as The Count ran him through with a hiss of his sabre. Queen Tolame screamed.

Padme lifted her face to see the Count stalking towards them. Ahsoka saw the unfamiliar pang of fear in the young senator's eyes. A burst of adrenaline coursed though her. She might've been stolen from her family because of the Jedi, but Padme was the closest thing she'd ever had to a sister or even a mother.

Ahsoka sailed forward, calling her shoto to her hand and igniting it on contact.

As the Count lifted the Queen into the air, Ahsoka desperately swung both her sabres at his left side, forcing him to turn around to block it. The guards refocused and forced the senator's ahead of them while Ahsoka engaged the Sith lord.

Ahsoka gritted her teeth, letting out a low growl of effort as she pushed her sabres closer to the Count's throat. He finally shifted to a two handed grip, using both to fight back against her. He swung out wide, ending the clash. At the same time Ahsoka used the opening to sprint toward him, using his own shoulder as a launch pad and flipping over to land at the entrance to the ballroom. She planted herself between the Sith Lord and the senators.

The guards paused behind her, awaiting more orders. Padme looked up at her, waiting for her to turn around and run. But Ahsoka was as still as the statues around them.

"Go. I'll keep him occupied," she said. She wasn't as naive as she once was. Ahsoka was well aware that Count Dooku would eventually overwhelm her and kill her. But still, if Rex could reach Anakin and Obi Wan in time...

"Ahsoka!" Padme shouted. The Queen breathlessly tried to regain her voice. Bail Organa remained silent and Ahsoka prayed that he was still alive. The guards began to sprint away. Padme cried out again.

"You come back to us in one piece! You hear me, Ahsoka?!" She shouted down the corridor as the guards carried her voice away.

As Count Dooku, rushed forward, Ahsoka felt comforted by that last remark.

"She sure does sound like Anakin sometimes," she thought to herself before blocking the swing of her executioner.


	9. Mounting Stakes

"This way, follow your escorts to the transport shuttles!" Rex called out to the hordes of senators. A hue of orange shades flowed out of the palace at a dazed pace. He knew he couldn't incite too much panic, as it would alert the Seperatist forces that they were onto them. Still, neither he nor Ahsoka knew where Count Dooku was or what he was up to. He needed General Skywalker. He needed to get out of the long-range jamming signal. And they needed to find Count Dooku.

He hustled the last few Shilli senators out of the palace and started towards the stairs. Suddenly, there was a blip from his com-link. Rex hurried away from the palace, urging the signal to come back. White noise began to stream into his ears.

"General? General Skywalker if you can hear me please respond," he said urgently. The silence crackled. "General!"

"Rex! Finally, what's going on? Why are all the senators being evacuated?" said General Skywalker, breathing heavily.

"Count Dooku's here. After the negotiations, he disappeared so Commander Tano thought it best to get all the senators to safety before he tried anything."

More jostling white noise responded. Rex could barely make out some muffled curses.

"Where's Ahsoka?" Skywalker asked.

Rex turned to face the entrance to the palace. The emptiness of the doorway irked him. Ahsoka, the Queen and the Republic senators should've been racing through it.

"Captain? Where. Is. Ahsoka?" The General commanded through the now crystal clear com-link.

"She was with the Queen and the Republic Senators when she gave the evacuation order. But none of them have made it out yet…"

"Padme-" the Jedi gasped before he could help himself. The Captain was painfully aware of the relationship between his General and the Naboo senator. They always seemed to get into trouble together and this meeting was apparently no exception. There was another round of crackling before a second voice came over the channel.

"Rex, Anakin and I are on our way to your position. It seems likely that Ahsoka's group may have run into the Count on their way out." General Kenobi's soothing voice blared over the com-link. "We'll contact Cody and Fives for backup later. In the meantime stay there until we arrive at your location."

"Sir, I-" Rex began to protest. If Ahsoka had run into Count Dooku, she was probably trying to keep him occupied so the senators could escape. After all their shared battlefield experience, he knew how the padawan's mind worked. Even in her first year of the war she'd gone toe to toe with General Grievous and barely escaped with all her limbs attached to her body.

"Stay where you are Captain. If Ahsoka and the senators arrive at the entrance, then you will need to escort them safely back to the transports. Am I clear?" Obi Wan reaffirmed.

He cast his face back to the main palace doors, swung wide open, just beckoning him to race back through them. "Copy that General," Rex replied.

"Good. Hopefully, we can all get out of here in one piece without alerting the Separatists."

Before General Kenobi even finished his sentence, Captain Rex was halfway down the corridor. Although Rex was not a spiritual person, he sent a silent prayer to the force. "You'd better be alright, kid," he muttered.

"He's probably gone anyway, hasn't he?" Obi Wan contemplated bitterly, remembering the shared nature of Anakin and his Captain.

"You shouldn't have even tried," Anakin panted ahead of him. His attempt at humor was offset by the dark tone of his voice. Obi Wan wasn't even certain if it was intended as a joke. He picked up his pace, leaping a couple dozen steps to be at his side. There lay a deep scowl on Anakin's face.

"Anakin… Padme and Ahsoka are-" he attempted to console his former apprentice.

"In trouble? May be killed at any moment? Yeah, I know." He blurted, trying to hurry ahead of Obi Wan. Still, however hard the young Knight tried to conceal his terrible poker face, Obi Wan knew exactly what was going on inside his head.

"It's not your fault," he stated openly.

"No…"

To Obi Wan's surprise Anakin's voice was quiet and vulnerable.

"I knew something was wrong. I should've listened to my instincts. But I didn't. I should've protested more about sending my Padawan into that meeting, but I didn't. I should've ignored the council, and gone with them anyway. But I didn't!" Anakin burst out. He whipped around to face Obi Wan, scraggly hair falling just over his blazing eyes. There's was an edge about his behavior that unsettled him.

"You can't take responsibility for what's out of your control, Anakin." Obi Wan reminded him gently. He'd had this talk with him far too often. The lesson never seemed to sink in.

They raced around the corner to where they could see the grand open entrance. As Obi Wan had predicted, the Captain had disobeyed his orders and was nowhere in sight.

"Obi Wan, I'm not in the-" Anakin started to argue before they both heard the sounds of distant footsteps. Alarmed, Obi Wan's hand hovered over his lightsaber, ready to spring into action. Anakin skidded to a stop on the polished stony floors. A concerned fog seemed to lift from his eyes.

An instant later, three Togrutan guards came rushing out of the entrance, each carrying a person tossed over their shoulders. "Thank you for that but could you put us down now?" a familiar voice echoed across the hallways. Padme was carefully placed down by one of the guards.

Obi Wan sighed as one problem solved itself. The senators were safe. However this gave rise to the next more pressing issue – the absence of the young Padawan and the Clone Captain.

As soon as Anakin saw Padme's face, he realized what it was like to breathe again. The tension in his shoulders ebbed away and he could barely control himself from calling out her name. That didn't stop him from sprinting towards her all the same.

"You've got to go back to help the Captain, and –" Padme addressed the guards before catching Anakin's eye. She faltered mid sentence, gasping before crying out "Anakin! Master Kenobi!" The brief look of relief on her face was quickly replaced by conflict.

"Senator Amidala, Queen Tolame, it's good to see you're all right," Obi Wan remarked, sounding just as relived as Anakin. He then noticed how silent Bail Organa was. Before Obi Wan could say anything the guard carrying him responded with "Concussion, he's still breathing."

Anakin put a calming hand on Padme's arm, just out of the periphery of the other senators. Ignoring the adrenaline coursing through him, he tried to send calming vibes to her through the force. Her breathing had drastically quickened.

"Anakin… She's still back there…" She managed to whisper. The golden entrance to the palace loomed before them, hollow and drafty.

He felt an instant pang of fear; his own mixed with Padme's. He'd been so distracted seeing her safe that he'd failed to notice his Padawan's absence.

"She knows she can't beat him. She knows and she still-" Padme choked on silent tears, gazing down at her hands. It had been a long time since he'd heard her speak so softly; sound so small.

"We are going to defeat Count Dooku and we're going to get her back." Anakin said with more certainty than he knew he had. He plastered on his trademark confident grin that a "hero with no fear" should have. Padme looked up at him. Her eyes were soft and the tension in her face slowly melted. "I'll be holding you to that," she responded, a brave smile replacing her grimace.

Obi Wan shifted the conversation back to their little trio again. "The Queen will be safer in Republic custody for now. There's a transport waiting just a little further along. Padme, when you get out of the system, call for Republic reinforcements - they should be on standby." Padme nodded firmly.

"Then we've gotta get moving," Anakin finished, turning toward the arching hallways.

"Wait!" the Queen rasped, her outstretched hand holding the Jedi where they stood. Although guards were supporting her weight, her bruised and beaten voice still held power.

"What is it, your highness?" Obi Wan asked briskly, walking the line between respectful and impatient.

Queen Tolame glared at him, her crystalline eyes sharp and determined.

"Save this child of Shilli. Do not let her fall so young. Those will be the sole terms of our alliance."

Her words shaped the humid air. The Queen's breathing steadied with the silence as the weight of her impulsive decision settled over all of them.

In all his time as "The Great Negotiator", never had Obi Wan been tested by sentiment such as this. Bewildered, he glanced back at Anakin, who's tight lips begun to curve up. The warm wind picked up, tossing about his hair. The young general stood taller.

"You can count on us, your highness. We won't fail you... or Ahsoka" Anakin responded, his determination shining bright.

With that final statement, Anakin sprinted down the ever-darkening hallways, as twilight descended upon the Palace, the glow of the moon reflecting purple hues across the sky. Obi Wan hesitantly followed suite, charging after his headstrong apprentice as he'd always done.


	10. Fight! Shilli Ballroom Battle!

Had it not been for the sudden flurry of blaster bolts from behind her, Ahsoka Tano was certain she would've lost her head.

The Count had quickly worn her out. In close combat, she was forced to use her agility to out maneuver him. She couldn't risk moving further away. He had every advantage with his developed force powers at fighting from greater distances. She'd only ever seen the effects of Dooku's force lightning from the burns her master had suffered because of it – and she wasn't too keen to find out what it felt like.

"As entertaining as this has been, young one, I've had enough now…" Dooku said, as he sliced through her defense with a single stroke. He yanked her towards him with the force. Ahsoka sensed her imminent death. Her fellow Jedi would've embraced it honorably. But she refused to face it at Dooku's hands and summoned all her strength to force push herself away from him. However, her attempt to avoid the crimson lightsaber was notably futile as the Count let a smirk cross his face. This was all over.

Until flashes of bright blue light filled his vision. With reflexes that men his age shouldn't possess, he adjusted the swing of his sabre to deflect the blaster bolts. Ahsoka took advantage of the distraction and leapt backwards. The Count lashed out again, trying to catch the young Togruta's neck. Instead, he only scratched the side of her lekku. She flipped mid air, landing beside her friend, and current miracle, Captain Rex.

"Hey Rex, took you long enough," Ahsoka panted, rubbing her lekku gingerly. She smiled though, grateful that her odds of survival were steadily climbing. "The Queen, the senators – are they…"

"Yeah, I met with them halfway out. They're a bit worse for wear but they're breathing. They should be meeting with our back up any time soon," Rex informed her.

Ahsoka's heart clinched. Back up, she thought. Anakin and Obi Wan were on their way. The senators – her friends – would be safe. They had a chance of making it out of here. And the Republic had kept their newest ally safe. As for the Count…

"You heard that, Gramps?" she called out to him, her sabres ready at her side. "You've lost already. Surrender now and we can call this a day."

Count Dooku sighed in a mock expression of defeat. She knew she shouldn't be coaxing him to want to kill her more. But Ahsoka couldn't help it. For their whole fight, he had seen his victory as pre-ordained. Like nothing she could do would change the outcome. All Ahsoka was doing now was drinking in the moment and living up to the name her Master had given her– Snips.

"Just because the Queen has escaped, does not mean that this venture has been a loss. There's more that can still be gained here," His voice echoed across the room. Ahsoka lifted her sabres defensively, concerned about his remark.

Did he still intend to take the planet, even with the incoming Republic forces? Any conflict on Shilli would be fruitless and simply end in losses. And with the Republic having gained Shilli's political favor, the Shilli guard would be fighting alongside Republic forces. It'd all be for nothing.

Before Ahsoka could think on it anymore, Dooku thrust his hand out, sending a violent wave of force lightning from his finger-tips. Ahsoka instinctively stepped in front of Rex and crossed her light-sabres to absorb the blast. Her sabre's shielded both of them from the brunt of the lightning. However, the force from it was so immense it physically pushed her backwards into Rex. Ahsoka averted her eyes from the blinding clash. Rex yelled from behind her.

"Commander!" He shouted as the Count cut off the lightning, using Ahsoka's temporary blindness to attack.

"Scatter!" She ordered as she leapt out of the way. Rex quickly ducked to the left and rolled up onto his feet behind a column, using both his blasters to shoot at the Sith Lord. Both split to either side of him, as Dooku kept his firm concentration locked on Ahsoka, refusing to acknowledge Rex as a threat. He occasionally spun around to focus on deflecting the blaster bolts but as soon as he did Ahsoka pressed more aggressive strikes at his sabre hand. The sparse room was not ideal for a fire-fight, leaving little for Rex to use as cover. He had to be constantly moving to avoid any deflected shots.

Both Ahsoka and Rex knew that their coordination had to be spot on. If Rex was too careless with his blasters, he would end up shooting Ahsoka, who had to keep close enough to evade Dooku's notorious force powers. Still, as dangerous as Dooku was with the force, his swordsmanship was even more fearsome.

Each strike Ahsoka made, Dooku would use the momentum of her swing and her lighter weight to his advantage, cutting her off to make her attacks too wide leaving her open and having to fall back on her less polished defense.

Her breathing was far too heavy and her force augmentation was slowly waning. She glanced over at Rex and briefly caught him jogging around the outskirts of the room. Dooku struck out again, shifting her attention back to the fight. Ahsoka knew they'd lose continuing as they were. Dooku was playing a stamina game that they'd fallen for, just assuming he would try to get past them quickly.

They needed an attitude adjustment and fast.

Amongst her racing thoughts, Ahsoka wished she'd had more combat training with Obi Wan; the light sabre defense guru. The only real defensive training she was good at was against droids…

An idea sprung into Ahsoka's head. She ran to a pillar and swung herself around it for momentum, kicking Dooku in the gut with a satisfying 'whoosh'. He backed away, creating enough space between her and Dooku to speed towards Rex. Dooku lifted his hand to force choke her back into the fray but Rex shot off another laser quick round of blaster bolts.

"Rex, remember our little accident back on the Resolute?" Ahsoka said panting, using Rex's barrage of blaster fire to catch her breath. The two ducked back behind the pillars as Dooku angrily sparked lightning at them.

"The accident we promised not to speak about?" Rex confirmed, his stoic voice turning salty.

"Yeah, yeah, that one – " Rex continued to send shot after shot at the increasingly frustrated Dooku, who attempted to deflect stray bolts back towards them with varying success. A deflected bolt suddenly whizzed between the two of them.

"What are you suggesting?" Captain Rex snapped.

"Do it again!" Ahsoka said. She whipped around and with a grunt of effort, used both hands to force throw Rex onto the second floor balcony. Rex stifled a surprised gasp as he caught the railing with his elbow. When the siege of blue bolts ceased, Dooku instantly lunged at Ahsoka once again. With Dooku's renewed intensity to kill her, she started to draw him out to the centre of the ballroom.

"Now Rex!" She said, back flipping away, satisfied with the Count's placement. Rex fired off two shots at the Count, both of which missed as he casually leaned away. Dooku scoffed. Then the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Just in time, he narrowly deflected the trajectory of two blaster bolts from behind him.

He spun around to face the sassy Padawan who smirked at him, a touch of pride at her work.

"Again Rex!"

"Sir, yessir!"

The pair ran in opposite directions around the room. Rex fired off five more rounds in quick succession, forcing Dooku to dodge and deflect them. Any stray bolts he dodged, Ahsoka deflected right back at him with pin-point accuracy that only her Shien grip would've allowed for.

Finally, they could keep him busy with coordinated long ranged attacks. Dooku couldn't even use his force powers because all his focus was poured into evading the accurate and encompassing barrage of blaster fire. Ahsoka would have given anything to have Obi Wan and Anakin see her now; utilizing her own strengths to exploit her enemy's weaknesses. Not to mention that her enemy was Count Dooku – a certified Sith Lord and sleemo.

He was obviously more trained to deal with conventional Jedi combatants. But Ahsoka and Rex's teamwork was far from conventional. Ahsoka continued to deflect every blaster bolt she could, inching her way closer to the Count until a brief gap in Rex's assault allowed for Ahsoka to race forward and kick Count Dooku in the back. He stumbled forward.

Ahsoka almost laughed with the adrenaline rush. The graceful Count Dooku, Sith Lord and leader of the Separatist Alliance about to fall face first into the floor. Her pride grew more than she should have let it.

A foreboding darkness froze her in place. Rex must have felt it too as he wasn't shooting anymore. The Count slowly rose to his feet and brushed off his cloak, standing steady once again. He then turned to fix Ahsoka with his raging yellow eyes. He let out a beastly roar of anger just as her fight or flight instincts took over, raising her sabres to block a sudden flood of white-hot electricity. The heat from it seared the skin on her fists clenched around the hilts. She could hear Rex screaming atop of the balcony. A chill settled in her stomach. What was she thinking? Anger only made the Sith stronger and Rex had no cover to hide from Dooku's rage. He continued to cry out in writhing agony.

The same sensation flowed through Ahsoka just as it had when the Count had threatened Padme earlier. Through the blinding light and the wall of heat, Ahsoka screamed before lowering her shoto. In a desperate, adrenaline fueled effort she reeled back her hand, now only blocking the force lightning with one sabre, and ditched her shoto like a spear. The scorching sparks from the lightning flew at her face from either side of her sabre. An instant later the crackling of electricity ceased.

There was a thud of Rex's body falling to the ground. She could finally hear her own ragged breathing again. The final sound of her shoto clattering on the floor echoed around the room. Ahsoka felt a stab of déjà vu at the eerily familiar noise.

Count Dooku was standing upright - completely still. There was a deep open gash atop his left shoulder. She had actually managed to hit him.

Dooku faced her. His head was down cast, his eyes hidden from sight. When he spoke, his voice was soft and quiet. For the first time, he sounded like a frail old man.

"Your Master taught you well."

Before Ahsoka could even raise her light-sabre, Count Dooku had lifted his clenched hand out in front of him. He slowly raised her into the air. The sudden lack of oxygen and the tightness around her throat made her drop her last sabre. Her hands clambered around her neck. Dooku locked his amber eyes with her, a misplaced smile playing across his lips.

"You really are Skywalker's Padawan. Only he would teach his apprentice such desperate tactics." he said, an unsettling calmness to his voice. He flicked his wrist, sending her flying against a wall. The impact rung in her ears. He let her fall to the floor. Before she could even scramble back to her feet, he lifted her up once again.

Ahsoka tried to force push him away, to cry for help, to do anything but all she managed to do was swing her legs frantically. Her panic grew as her ability to breathe lessened.

"Stabbing me in the back is hardly the Jedi way, young one," he said with a 'tsk, tsk'. Her vision became spotted with blotches of purple and black. He drew her back towards him, his voice growing clearer. "It's poetic how you made the same mistakes as he did. Maybe I should take your arm as well?"

Ahsoka's hands fell to her sides as unconscious thoughts flooded her mind. She wondered if Rex was dead, wondered how her own death would feel. How betrayed she felt that Anakin had never told her that he lost his arm to Count Dooku. The last nagging thought that lingered before she was overcome by nothingness was something the Count had said earlier. "There's more that can still be gained here".

A final sobering thought crossed her mind, after witnessing his dark enjoyment.

Maybe he was just playing a game after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading! I've never posted any of my stories before so this is really lovely. Kudos, comments and reviews are greatly appreciated!


	11. Bargaining Snips

"Anakin, from the way you were talking to the Queen, I assume you have a plan," Obi Wan mused, racing down the lush palace halls.

Anakin threw him an eyebrow raise.

"Am I hoping for too much?" Obi wan answered, mildly exasperated.

"Not at all, Master – the plan is simple; we get in there, defeat Count Dooku and save Ahsoka and Rex," Anakin stated.

As they turned a sharp corner, the older Jedi barely caught himself from face planting into the furthest wall. A part of him wanted to, to demonstrate to Anakin how unbelievably reckless such a mindset was in their situation.

"Fives and Cody's squads shouldn't be far behind us once we engage Dooku. If we can keep his attention on us…" Anakin added.

"We could use this opportunity to capture him and bring the war to a swift end," Obi wan finished, easily following his train of thought. "That still doesn't mean we should go in light-sabre's blazing without a plan."

The air suddenly flushed out spikes of heat down the corridor. Obi wan could feel the hairs on his arms stand at attention. His whole body tensed as he heard the crackling electricity and screaming.

Anakin's muscles exploded with the pulse of his rising heartbeat. With one force push, he dashed forward a couple hundred feet. Obi wan wordlessly followed suit. His senses were overwhelmed with manic darkness from the center of the palace. They had to assume it was Count Dooku. But the air of… instability was unusual for Dooku's force signature. The Jedi knew well he was powerful with the dark side but he was controlled and tempered with it. What Obi wan sensed was pure unbridled rage.

Anakin could feel the echoes of his Captain's pain, like it was shouting at him through a faulty com-link. The intensity of the electrocution still burned into his mind. However, his Padawan's desperation came through crystal clear, his own conflicted feelings merely amplifying it. The closer they got, the stronger and more unbearable it became. He sprinted faster, his calves burning from the strain he was putting them under.

Then...silence.

Both Jedi faltered at the abrupt lack of noise. The release of the dark sides' pressure waned.

"What…" Anakin barely whispered. "Did they actually – " He started before the force shot him a violent warning. He buckled under the weight of it, before catching himself. Obi Wan had obviously sensed it too.

"Ahsoka," he muttered. He picked himself back up and surged forward with fearful vigor.

They rushed down the last corridor that led to a set of golden arches, similar to the entrance. While sprinting, Anakin thrust out his hand, summoning the force in his palm. The giant doors flew open at his command. He caught a glimpse of the grandiose gold splattered ballroom. His eyes were locked on the center of the room where he saw two figures: his unmoving Padawan and Count Dooku, choking her with the force.

"Let her go, Dooku!" Anakin roared, charging forward and igniting his light saber.

The Count glanced at him briefly before raising his own saber.

"One more step, Skywalker, and you two become matching halves."

Anakin fumbled, slowing his attack as reason flooded back to him. Dooku hovered his saber right over his Padawan's left arm, singeing it. She winced.

"Okay, OKAY!" Anakin shouted, quickly backing off. He raised his arms in the air, glancing at his left one in disdain. The mechanical hum was a constant reminder of his failure. He couldn't let his Padawan suffer the same consequences.

Obi Wan sidled up beside him, grimacing at the scene ahead of them.

"Count Dooku… I'm sure our Padawan has informed you that you are no longer welcome on Shilli?"

"Through civilized conversation? No, but it was implied," He said, tightening his grip. "This youngling has no manners in that regard."

"What the hell do you want, Dooku?" Anakin yelled. The hold on his sabre hilt turned to stone.

Dooku turned himself to face the two of them properly and waltzed forward, dragging Ahsoka behind him. "Straight to the point as usual, Skywalker. I don't suppose it's too late to ask for an exchange?"

Anakin and Obi-Wan looked up at Ahsoka, dangling mid air.

"This one for… perhaps… the Queen?" Dooku finished.

Obi-wan sighed inwardly. He knew too well that the Republic could never agree to such a trade off. The life of one Jedi, even a Padawan, wasn't worth an entire system to the senate. Still, he wouldn't give up on Ahsoka that quickly.

Sadly, he knew neither would Anakin. Before his former apprentice could step forward, Obi-wan cut him off.

"My apologies, Count, but even if we could, the Queen is at least a dozen star systems away from here by now." Obi-wan informed him. He sensed Anakin's anger flare up beside him.

"How disappointing…" Dooku muttered.

"However…" Obi-wan started up again before he lost Dooku's attention. He was the great diplomat of the Jedi order. He knew he had to tempt Count Dooku, keep him engaged until the clone squadrons arrived. "We may have something else to bargain with."

There was a tense moment of silence. Ahsoka stopped struggling. Anakin's light-sabre was at the ready. Dooku locked eyes with Obi-wan, intrigue playing over his features. Slowly, he lowered Ahsoka to the ground beside him, smiling at Obi-wan.

"You don't happen to mean yourself, do you?" Dooku inquired.

Obi-wan clenched his jaw. That wasn't quite what he had in mind but the idea had obviously peaked the Count's interest.

"Perhaps. A Jedi General is bound to have more intel than a Padawan. If I agree to go with you without a fight, will you spare her?"

"Obi-Wan, what are you doing?" Anakin pulled his former master around to face him. To his slight surprise, Obi-Wan felt a wave of concern from the young general – concern for him.

"Anakin, this may be our best option to save Ahsoka. You know I've been in worse situations than this…" He said soothingly.

"We didn't come here to bargain lives – we came here to save them," Anakin insisted.

Ahsoka took a raspy breath – like the sound of scraping toast. A flare of worry yanked Anakin's attention back to his Padawan's condition. "Ahsoka?" he called out instinctively.

Count Dooku smirked, chuckling softly. "If you're not careful, she'll be dead long before you two stop bickering."

Obi-Wan placed a hand on his shoulder and gripped it tightly, living both of the Jedi's pain. "He's right Anakin. If she doesn't get help soon, this will have been for nothing."

"So do we have a deal then?" Dooku called over, light-sabre hanging at his side, ready for whatever their decision was.

Anakin's strained silence answered for him. Obi Wan placed his light-sabre on the ground and slowly walked towards the Count, hands behind his head. He reached the halfway point between them; could feel both Anakin and the Count burning with anticipation, leaning closer.

"Honor your word Dooku – let her go." Obi Wan called out.

Dooku sighed, force lifting her back into the air. The older Jedi froze as the two walked forward. Obi Wan and Dooku were now face to face. He could almost feel Ahsoka's ragged breath.

"First – kneel," Dooku commanded. "Realise that I can't be too cautious…"

Obi Wan glanced at Ahsoka for a final time. He could see her eyes barely open.

"Obi Wan… don't," she muttered.

A flush of relief flooded through him as she spoke; she was conscious at least. But her pleas… The young Jedi rarely ever used his first name out of respect. He knew she must've fought hard to try and avoid this outcome.

Obi Wan did as the Count asked. He could feel Anakin growl from behind him. Dooku smirked once again at the ease with which he had complied. The Jedi were even weaker than he had once thought.

"Dooku! My Padawan – NOW!" Anakin shouted from the back at The Count's hesitation.

"One more thing before I release her," he stated. "Tell me, how far away are your troops? I'll need all of them for interrogation… about the Citadel rescue."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's a change in pace! I've been updating this every week with 1-2 chapters (syncing them up with the release of clone wars episodes) So even though the series has come to a close and I've been sobbing since yesterday, I'm determined to keep this routine up as it's really been helping me to cope with farewelling a series I've loved for about 10 years.


	12. Chaos and The Count

The Jedi felt the force ripple around them. The Count knew about their involvement in the Citadel mission. The truth of his interest slapped them across the face. He knew about the Nexus Route.

He was readying to attack Coruscant.

Blaster fire exploded from behind them as the 212th and 501st's best and brightest came charging into the ballroom. Within that moment Dooku had managed to toss Ahsoka across the other side of the room. As shots flew above him, Obi Wan called the closest light-sabre into his hand – Ahsoka's shoto. The Count danced backwards, deflecting blaster bolt after blaster bolt.

Anakin whipped out his arms, cushioning Ahsoka's fall with the force before pulling her back towards him. He cradled her, his instinct for closeness overriding years of Jedi habits. After a small coughing fit, she looked up at him.

"Thanks," she hacked. Anakin shuffled over and propped her up against the palace walls. Chaos swarmed around them as he did a quick once over of her, scanning for any serious injuries. Aside from some surface burns across her arms and face, she seemed intact. Still, he could never be too sure – plus, his Captain was still missing.

"Kix! Over here!" He called out.

The 501st Medic promptly sped over to his General and Commander, Bacta patches at the ready. "Make sure that she's okay and stays down – I have a feeling Rex will need your help too."

"Sir, yes sir," Kix nodded.

"I can still hel-" Ahsoka began but Anakin held up his hand. The finality in the gesture was unmistakable.

"Don't move – you've already done enough."

Although this statement could've been a congratulatory one, harshness bled into his voice. What could've been a master proud of his student sounded instead like Anakin writing her off.

Without a second thought, he leapt into action, protective rage blazing as bright as his sabre. Ahsoka slumped further into the wall. He hadn't even noticed the gaping wound the Sith Lord now bore thanks to her efforts. Kix was already patching her up, covering the singed skin first before working his way toward the bruises around her neck.

"Commander!" Fives sprinted towards them through the entrance, blasters at the ready. "Going toe to toe with the Seppie Leader? Bold move, sir."

After the disappointment from Anakin's reaction, Ahsoka welcomed the clone's teasing support. Kix pushed her head to the side, injecting a healing stim into her neck.

"Yeah, it's good to see you too – listen Rex is in a bad way," she said hastily. "He's up on the balcony. Do you reckon you could get Kix up there?"

Before Fives could register the situation concerning Rex, red blaster bolts zipped past the three of them. They flinched away, readjusting themselves to a safer position away from the open entrance.

"The clankers are here already?" Tup groaned, ducking behind a column.

"Quit whining and start blasting!" Fives responded, as he leapt from cover to cover, lighting up the corridor with blue laser fire.

Ahsoka groaned, getting to her feet. Kix attempted to pull her back down, but her Jedi strength won out, breaking free of his grasp. Instead, the medic opted for dragging her to fall back with the other troops. The first wave of B1 battle droids marched through the doors.

"If those droids are here, then the magna-guards can't be far away," She said, eyeing the three troopers; their backs flat against their respect covers.

She looked over to the crowd of yellow striped armour beginning to surround Anakin and Obi Wan's duel with the Sith Lord. Obi Wan's form III made him an efficient opponent against Dooku's superior offence. However, the movements were jerky and awkward as he adjusted to the shorter blade. The Count was obviously trying to play to his strengths, moving fluidly around the two Jedi; But this wasn't like the fight before.

Because no matter what he tried, his only choice was to hold his defence against the ferocity that was Anakin Skywalker. The younger Jedi broke through his guise, meeting each blow with brute force, laying waste to the once elegant swordsmanship of Count Dooku. He had always been a bright spot within the force, like a glow of dormant energy. Against Dooku, the waves of power he wielded was so entrancing that Ahsoka almost forgot the matter at hand.

"CODY!" She cried out. The Commander had positioned himself closely behind his general to cover him from the incoming droid attacks. Ahsoka pointed to where she last saw her Captain.

"Rex needs a medic!" She shouted at him. The 212th Commander looked to Kix standing next to her, as she gave him a supportive pat on the shoulder. Without further prompting, Commander Cody blasted a rain of cover fire for the 501st medic.

"Go get him," She said before summoning Obi Wan's lightsaber into her hand. She hefted the weight of it for a moment. Satisfied, she reached out to grab the other sabre she'd dropped.

"Oh, the general won't like that." Fives chuckled.

"He doesn't have anything to worry about – Blue's not my colour."

And with that, she dived into the hoard, slicing and dicing as many droids as the two blades would let her. The 501st men behind her cheered and charged forward, leaving the 212th to Kenobi and Skywalker.

"Dooku! Surrender yourself already. Trying to occupy the planet now is pointless, you'll only suffer losses!" Obi Wan tried for the umpteenth time to make use of his negotiation skills.

Ever since he had arrived on Shilli, they had been useless. Anakin, Captain Rex, The Queen and now even the notoriously poised and collected Count Dooku had all been acting out of impulse.

It frustrated him to no end.

"Perhaps – But the stakes are too great now, Kenobi. Surely you learnt that from Master Piell." Dooku replied as Anakin grunted, blocking from the right.

"Don't even mention his name," Anakin said.

Dooku responded by leaping backwards, readying a few ancient marble busts and assorted pottery. His hand shot forward as did an array of makeshift projectiles.

The two Jedi pulled back. Without a single word exchanged, they threw up a shield of the force, scattering the ceramics away.

"Struck a nerve, have I Skywalker? Perhaps, I'll interrogate you personally!" Dooku said, launching himself forward, just grazing Anakin's mechanical hand.

Together, the duo had managed to back Dooku into the corridor just down from the senate chamber, reminding him of their most recent fight on Naboo protecting the Chancellor. Purply pink light streamed in through stained-glass windows, emboldening the illuminated clash of red on blue.

The blaster fire from behind them had steadily grown quieter as his troops struggled to keep up with the duel. However, the sheer white noise of the sound along with Count Dooku's growing confidence was a bad sign that the Seperatist reinforcements had arrived.

Growing impatient, Dooku sent them an intense blast of white hot electricity, blinding both of them as they raised their sabres to block the attack. Cackling echoed around the golden hallways as the Sith Lord drank in their frustration. As quickly as it started, the barrage ceased and Dooku was nowhere in sight, though his shadow of a presence still lingered around them.

"Don't think you can run from us, Dooku!" Anakin bellowed.

Before he could give chase, Obi Wan stepped in front of him, holding him back.

"Wait! If he's willing to push himself this far past his limits, he's probably confident that he can overpower us."

"Overpower us? What are you talking about Obi Wan, he's backed into a corner and running scared."

Obi Wan sighed. He himself had been pushed past his limits with his tolerance for Anakin's selective observations.

"If you weren't so focused on killing him, you would have noticed that he's already been injured."

"What?"

The adrenaline rush from the initial clash changed gears as the cogs in Anakin's head began putting the pieces together. Stubbornness turned to confusion.

"He's been favouring his right side because of the sabre wound on his other shoulder. Dooku wouldn't fight us like that unless he's got a plan - and if he does, we can't afford to play into it"

His eyebrows furrowed further as Anakin slowed down enough to think properly.

"But neither of us have landed a hit on him yet…" Anakin started before his eyes widened. "Ahsoka did that?"

Obi Wan couldn't help the small joy that seeped into him. Seeing Anakin understand the true meaning of "pride" was an amusing and beautiful thing.

"This may come as a shock to you, but you've taught her well Anakin," he replied.

Anakin stepped back to catch his breath, remembering how dismissive he had been to her before. He was too busy madly worrying about Count Dooku hurting her that it hadn't even crossed his mind that she could've hurt him. When he faced Count Dooku as a Padawan, that certainly wasn't the case. He inhaled deeper.

"Alright, I'm listening. What's the plan?"

Obi Wan nodded.

"He's probably leading us into a trap – I'm assuming he'll have droids flanking him in the senate chambers since we know there's no other exits. If he defeats us, then he'll most likely do the exact same thing from before and hold our lives as ransom to detain the others"

"So what do you propose then?" Anakin said, folding his arms. He had an inkling of an idea about where this was going.

"We're going to need back up Anakin – and I think you'll have to be the one to call her."


	13. Bye Bye Ancient Architecture

As Ahsoka had predicted from the start; the magna guards were a pain in the back. Not because she had to fight them, but rather because they were nowhere in sight. As she sliced a chunky B2 battle droid down the middle, she called back to her troops.

"Climb the stairs! Get to higher ground!"

A chorus of blue and white troopers responded "Sir yessir!", rushing the staircase with Ahsoka protecting the rear.

She couldn't help but occasionally glance up at the spot where Rex had fallen. With oxygen finally flowing to her head again, she could sense his weak breathing. It wasn't much but it was enough to spur her on.

"Sir!" Ahsoka turned to face Tup, positioned just above her behind a pillar. He pointed frantically at the weakening overhang of the balcony above the entrance. "Do you reckon you can do it?"

The young commander laughed manically, her exhaustion turning to hysteria. "Give me some cover, and I'll do it with style!"

"Right! You heard her men, lay down some cover fire!"

Ahsoka leapt into action, weaving in and out of the parade of battle droids. A trail of blue bolts followed behind her as she leapt up to slice at the two columns supporting the bridge. The structure began to quake.

"Sorry your highness," Ahsoka muttered before jumping back. With all the energy she could muster, she force pushed the crumbling architecture. It shook for a moment before stabilising. Fives was the first to notice, diving into a shiny's backpack to fish out whatever was left of their dwindling ammunition. He raced over to where Kix was patching up the unconscious Captain and threw a charger at Cody, keeping watch beside them.

"Ready to get your hands dirty, sir?" Fives asked. The Commander caught the charge with a nod of his head.

"So I'm not just a sweet summer child, then?" Cody shot back. Fives flung his arms in the air.

"Damnit Tup! You had one job -" He shouted, followed by more "Snips & Skyguy" approved curses.

Cody laughed before the two split in opposite directions of the balcony walkway. The young Jedi was backed up to the stairs and obviously losing steam as the waves of droids became too overwhelming. Fives took one look at the pillars she'd gotten to work on and lobbed the charger towards them as Cody followed his lead. A fantastic blast of orange flames and smoke erupted from below them, causing the beautifully engraved stone to collapse and crush the droids below it like little bugs.

The remaining clankers awkwardly turned to see that the rest of their battalion had disappeared under mountains of stone. The remaining droids were easily cleaned up.

Ahsoka retracted her substitute light-sabre. Her entire body ached once more, as she registered a mild pounding in her brain. Still, she knew it wasn't over yet. There was still Count Dooku to deal with.

She sprinted towards Rex, kneeling beside him. Fives, Tup and Cody stood a little further back (obviously under the medic's orders). His helmet was off and his breathing was shallow. But just as Kix injected another stimulant into his neck, his eyes inched open. She steadied him.

"Hey kid," he said to her for the first time in years. "Did we win?"

She cracked a smile, clapping him on the shoulder. He winced and Kix promptly shooed her hand away.

"Sorry Rexter. Yeah we did… Kind of," she replied.

She sat down with him, explaining what he missed. Rex furrowed his eyebrows in a haze.

"You… you managed to hit him?" Rex asked in awe. The other troopers fell deadly silent, and the shinys leaned in closer.

"We did Rex. Without you, I would've been dead long before I got the chance."

Fives whistled, mirroring the sentiment shared by the rest of the battalion.

"You two are incredible," Tup nodded, crossing his arms.

Ahsoka stood up again, steadier then before thanks to the quick break. "Never-mind that. We need to secure our transports before they get swamped by droids. The Republic still doesn't know how dire the situation is down here."

She turned on her heel to face Fives and Cody.

"According to Master Skywalker, there should be 3 openings on this level of the Palace. We can use them to flank the droid forces and take -"

A beeping erupted from her com link. Annoyed, she flicked open her channel as quickly as she could. It was probably Obi Wan ordering her to do the exact thing she was already doing.

"Commander Tano here."

"Ahsoka," Anakin responded.

She choked on her snarky response (much to the amusement of the troopers around her).

"Master: Captured the Count yet?" She opted for, still salty over his earlier behaviour.

Fives mimed at her if they could start moving off. She nodded, pointing them in the right direction. Kix promptly ordered two other troopers to carry Rex between them as he continued to fuss over his condition.

"Not yet, we just need- " Anakin started, quickly losing his words. She lifted her com link closer to her ear and heard him sigh.

"Obi Wan reckons he's set up a trap of some kind so… we need your help."

A vindicated gleam sparked in her eyes. "Yes Master - I'll be right there."

Before the rest of the squad left through the second floor door, Kix quickly nudged a healing stim into Ahsoka's palm. Grateful, she gave him a determined nod as they left her sprinting back down the stairs and into the dusk of the palace halls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I heard you guys - you asked for it, you got more chapters;)


	14. The Chained Beast

Anakin stood in the swell of the force, waiting for his Padawan to appear down the hallway. For as much comfort as it often gave him, it had begun to cloud his vision recently. He felt unsteady. Leading up to the negotiations, he was fairly certain that this event was what the force was warning him about. It only ever felt as potent when something was about to change in his life… or when someone was about to leave it.

Obi Wan would tell him to let go of his fears into the force but no matter how hard he tried to push it away, it would encompass him even more. Like a cyclone, it surrounded him. He couldn't resist it. He couldn't escape it. The only thing that worked for him was to use it. He had managed to save Ahsoka and Rex, who in turn had saved Padme. There were no signs telling him that it was wrong, aside from Jedi habit.

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that the vision had yet to take shape. Calling Ahsoka back into the fray concerned him although he knew that she was a capable warrior. He could tell that Obi Wan was concerned for different reasons. The Count's interest in the Nexus Route put them back on the defensive. But because of Ahsoka's determination in fighting him alone, she'd given them a chance to capture him.

For any grievances he harboured, he would never deny that his Padawan was anything but brilliant. Two years ago, he couldn't have imagined wanting someone else to surpass him. Now, he couldn't imagine it otherwise.

He wanted to knight Ahsoka and watch her turn into the great Jedi he knew she would one day become.

But keeping her alive to see that happen was his first priority. Not the Republic; her.

Quick footsteps pattered down the corridor, snapping Anakin out of his light meditation. Ahsoka was jogging towards them, a few bacta patches still covering her arms and the side of her lekku. She shot them her classic snippy grin.

"Master, since when did you get so polite, waiting for me?" she said, slowing to a stop in front of them.

"Since you managed to carve up Dooku," Anakin mustered.

She laughed, shaking her head. Softly she said "Thanks for noticing."

Obi Wan gave him the side eye, an implied 'I told you so' hidden in the gesture. "Right, Ahsoka: How many droids were escorting the senators earlier?"

"Just the two Magna-Guards," she confirmed.

Obi-Wan pondered over the information, stroking his beard.

"If you keep them occupied while we deal with The Count, we may be able to pull this off..." he said. "But before we do -"

Ahsoka reached for her belt. "I'm way ahead of you," she said, exchanging their light sabres. As Obi Wan retrieved his Sabre, a sense of balance seemed to return to him. Ahsoka held hers and turned it over in her palm, checking the weapon out of habit.

"So Snips, ready to upgrade to the full blade?" Anakin crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Lets just say, I'm happy to have this one back."

Their banter fell quiet as they turned to face the intricately patterned doors of the chamber, arching all the way up to the ceiling. The room had already darkened after their conversation and night was upon them, the full purple glow of the moon shining in through stained glass.

Anakin rolled his shoulders back, sandwiched between his master and his apprentice. He placed his hands on the doors. "Ready?"

Ahsoka unhitched her other sabre, nodding up at him.

Obi Wan lowered his stance. "Let's see what the Count has in store for us."

With that, Anakin shoved open the archway.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Count Dooku had expected the two Jedi to take their time to devise a strategy but this was getting ridiculous.

A caged beast prowled inside of him. Usually, it would relent under his control and feed him strength. It would pace but it would obey him. Now he could feel it growling back and forth, pawing at it's chains.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, he became more and more aware of the dull ache in his shoulder. From his seat on the throne, he took in the surrounding. The purple light from the four electro-staffs scattered the moon cast shadows across the room. The effect was so stunning that Dooku considered using it in his own dwellings back on Raxus. But the distraction did little to stay his pain let alone his annoyance. He had half the mind to forgo his plans and just kill them.

He silently thanked the force when the two walked in... until he realised it was three.

"So... That explains it," he growled.

Aggression flared within him as he saw Skywalker's pet walk in beside the two older Jedi. The pain in his shoulder swelled, fuelling his anger. He tightened his grip on the arms of the throne.

The two Magna guards flanking the archway twirled their staffs, blocking off the exit.

Another two boxed them in from either side.

"I assume you won't be surrendering then?" Kenobi inquired.

Count Dooku uncrossed his legs. "How observant of you, Master Kenobi. And I assume you'll do me the favour of giving me the intel so I can kill you sooner?"

The Padawan ignited her green sabres. The ache in his shoulder turned sharp.

"You're all talk Dooku," said Skywalker. His tone was more even. More tempered.

The Sith Lord stood up, looking down on the three fools as it should be. They hadn't just taken their time, they had collected themselves. He needed to unbalance them again.

"My, how low my Jedi lineage has fallen," Dooku said, waltzing down the steps. "It makes me glad Qui Gon isn't here to witness it. How disappointed he would be."

Obi Wan's lips curled into the closest thing to a snarl he could muster. His former Padawan's confidence faltered, looking to his old Master and seeing even older wounds.

"We are not the disappointment here, Dooku," Kenobi retorted with unusual assertiveness. Dooku clenched his sabre hand. Almost there...

Shifting his attention to their Jedi brat, he bowed his head mockingly. "My dear, I do hope your neck is alright,"

Predictably, Skywalker stepped in front of her. The subtle change in his breathing indicated The Count's success.

"It's doing better than your shoulder," she quipped back. He stopped dead in his tracks. The lucky hit that never should have been, weighed down on him.

He could feel the beast clawing at its cage, gnawing on the bars. It thrashed and roared, a sense of control barely chained down by his own will.

Skywalker dared to speak.

"Well that ain't a shock. He's just a frail old man..."

Without another word, his sabre was ignited. The chains snapped.

And the beast roamed free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's never really mentioned in the show about how Dooku is basically Obi Wan, Anakin and Ahsoka's Great Great Evil Grandmaster. I really like that off kilter family dynamic and I love seeing these really composed baddies just lose their shit when some Padawan beats their arse because they got cocky (case in point, Darth Maul). So uh, yeah, look forward to seeing that in the next chapter. 
> 
> Thanks for all the comments btw, I love reading them and connecting with you guys out there in the community:)


	15. A Dark Turn

Having Anakin as a human shield was one of the little upsides that Ahsoka was grateful for during her apprenticeship. Especially when their mutual Sith Lord friend lost the last of his marbles.

She cursed as Count Dooku crashed down his lightsaber on top of her head in a two handed flash of red. Instinctively, she ducked backwards as her Master met the clash with a brilliant blue blade. The Count roared at her, managing to push against Anakin's hold.

"Kriffing hell, Ahsoka, what did you do to him?" Anakin shouted, reinforcing his stance.

The Count's eyes bulged a vibrant yellow, the veins popping on his forehead. It was the same electrifying instability she sensed from him before. Somehow, it felt amplified to accomodate for the extra company. The sudden spike of adrenaline was dizzying as every cell in her body screamed at her to act.

Luckily, Obi Wan yelled orders from behind them.

"Switch!"

Before she knew it, her body leapt into action, flipping her backwards high into the air. Obi Wan rolled forward, striking out at The Count's legs. Ahsoka crashed down on two of the Magna guards, slicing both straight down the middle upon her landing. It had become her signature move since her first mission to Tattooine.

Obi Wan had more difficulty adjusting to his new role. After rolling in to strike at The Count, the Sith Lord uncharacteristically smashed his leg into Obi Wan's face. The older Jedi muffled a groan as Anakin made up for the lack of momentum with more vicious attacks. However, his subdued attitude was struggling to keep time with the Count's manic fighting style.

Ahsoka refocused as the remaining Magna Guards bore down on her. Her duel wield easily covered the range of the electro staffs. She attempted the same move once again, slicing up the middle of one of the droids. This merely succeeded in giving it two weapons to challenge her with.

It processed the scenario.

Then, its tactics changed pace as it sped up. Ahsoka looked around the room and manoeuvred herself away from the paradox of a duel against the crazy Sith Lord, bringing her new killer droids with her.

As Ahsoka jumped over and under the senate chairs, Anakin was forced into head butting The Count over their locked light-sabres to drag his attention away from her. The Count stumbled backwards. Determined not to waste the moment, Obi Wan picked it up for him, pressing on as Anakin steadied his pounding forehead.

Sure, it wasn't his brightest idea, but he didn't know what else to do. Especially after witnessing The Count's sudden fixation on cutting up his Padawan into little snippy pieces. The intensity of his force signature almost drowned out that of his friends beside him. Never had Anakin seen him fight like this. It wasn't just desperation - it was insanity.

"Master!" Ahsoka called out to him. She was far closer to Obi Wan by this point. He took the hint and let Ahsoka jump into the mix, covering her droids for her.

She raced forward, low to the ground, sabres behind her back. The Count inhaled sharply as she rushed forward, keeping focused on slicing at his footwork. She and Obi Wan had fluid attacks, blocking for each other where they could. Just barely, she heard master Kenobi's heaving breaths. "This wasn't what I expected."

Behind them, they heard Anakin grunt and the hiss of flailing metal meeting his lightsaber. As if in response, Dooku bellowed, force pushing Obi Wan and Ahsoka halfway across the room. The watercolour glass depicting the art and history of the Shilli people cracked and shattered behind him, encompassing them in a force storm of shrapnel.

"Get down!" Anakin called out. Ahsoka jumped behind the senate seats as he and Obi Wan attempted to raise their force shields. This time, the effort was too little too late as glass and chunks of stone tore through their robes. Anakin's arm glitched as shards of debris stabbed at the circuitry.

Obi Wan strained under the immense pressure from supporting the two of them. Relaxing into the force, he felt a renewed spark of energy. He calmly focused before firing back a well aimed projectile at Dooku's face, who broke off the attack, having enough sense to cut through the jagged rock flying straight at him.

Anakin chuffed, grinning at his old master.

"Good to know you've still got it," he said.

Dooku panted, his body beyond its breaking point. But his will of force exploded out of its casing, burning past his muscle tissue, as if its decay was what fuelled him forward. He sent a shockwave of lightning towards them. The two Jedi raised their defences but as quickly as they did, Dooku had closed in on Obi Wan's space, ripping through his defence before flinging him across the room. His head cracked against a column and Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi crumpled to the ground.

Anakin charged in for an aggressive overhead strike but Dooku was already underneath him, sabre careening towards his chin. A whizz of green blind sided both of them.

Anakin Skywalker leapt back, allowing his Padawan the space to make her grand re-entrance. She summoned the blade back into her hand, nodding at him. The two of them steadied, reaching out with the force to ground each other. Obi Wan's soft moaning behind them reassured their secured position.

Count Dooku froze. A twitch developed in his neck as he readjusted himself, trying to take back control of his own body. He had lost his advantage. He had lost his composure. And he was losing his Master's promised battle. He stared up into the open space of the night sky, lost.

Suddenly, a flicker of amusement crossed his face.

He smiled this time, adjusting back to a one handed stance.

"Attack, Jedi."

Anakin ran in first, pushing for a strong offensive. Ahsoka had already followed his lead, weaving in between them, reading and blocking attacks before the arc of the blade even started. He spun around a column, quickly forcing Anakin back before blocking Ahsoka's next strike.

He'd become readable again. His personality had been pasted back together like nothing was ever wrong.

Anakin struck out, an aggressive strike to The Count's right side. Moving to block the more deadly attack, Dooku was open to Ahsoka, using Anakin's back as a spring board for a vicious kick. Her heel connected with his injured left shoulder and he buckled under the pain. Her master bashed aside his sabre and the two held him still as they raised all three blades at his throat.

He didn't say anything. Just simply raised his hands behind his head. Anakin refused to take his eyes off of the Count, waiting for him to break out in a crazed frenzy once again.

"Nice job, Ahsoka. Go check on Obi Wan," he said.

"Right," she replied speeding off.

The noises of Obi Wan's sassy grumblings behind him relieved some of the pressure in Anakin's chest. However, the longer his staring contest with the Count continued, the more eerie it got.

"Count Dooku, you will be taken into custody for your crimes against the Republic," Anakin rattled off, trying to feel that sense of finality after a battle.

The Count didn't say anything. Merely just glared at him.

"You're coming with us," His blade hovered even closer to the Sith Lord's pruned beard.

Ahsoka hefted a woozy Obi Wan towards him, avoiding as much debris as she could. The full moonlight now shone into the chamber without the window. Anakin shook himself. He was so focused on the Count that he didn't realise how large some of the shadows had gotten. Dooku scoffed.

"You Jedi fools. You're not the only ones who know when to wait for back up," The Count seethed as a familiar silhouette filled up the room. A wheezing laughter echoed high above them from the broken shards of the throne room window.

General Grievous leapt through, cracking the stone floor beneath him.

Ahsoka backed up as fast as she could, dragging Obi Wan with her. Both reignited their sabres. Anakin yanked Count Dooku to his feet in a choke hold, sabre to his throat. The Count relaxed in his grip, unfazed.

His com link was already raised to his mouth. "Captain Rex, we need an evac - now!"

Static was the only response. Obi Wan copied him, summoning his Commander to be met with the same result.

The Droid General clunked towards them, a squad of commando droids flanking him.

"Skywalker, is it? We meet at last," The General rasped, hands behind his back, cape flowing behind him.

The three continued backing up into the previous corridor, Anakin up the front with their hostage.

"General Grievous - can't say I'm impressed," Anakin retorted. "You're shorter than I expected."

The cyborg replied with two ignited lightsabers. His footfalls became heavier.

"And you are short on company, I see," Dooku commented. Anakin tightened his gruff hold on him.

He could hear Ahsoka and Obi Wan's careful footsteps behind him. A map of the palace appeared in his mind. Six exits on the first floor, he recalled. They had a choice to back into the ballroom where they had just come from or to turn down into the kitchens. The ballroom lead to the front entrance which is where the droid forces had already swarmed. That left one option. He felt the bond with his master and apprentice and nudged them to turn the corner. An agreement echoed in his mind.

"Fight us, and he's dead," Anakin proclaimed, rotating back into the right path. The scuffle of his friends footsteps grew louder.

Grievous hacked, his laughter filling up every crevice of the palace. "And then I'd have to kill you and you're precious…Jedi… friends…"

It is rare for droids to express confusion, but the shaking heads and sudden halt of General Grievous and his forces was cause for Anakin to dare look behind him. Adding to the party of confusion was his own as he saw no Obi Wan or Ahsoka in sight.

"What trickery is this…" Dooku muttered.

A roaring erupted from behind the droid forces. As if from nowhere, a dozen Shilli warriors armed with electro tipped spears and golden plated armour charged the commando droids. Snapping out of the shock, Dooku sent a blast of force lightning through both himself and Anakin. It ripped through them before he pushed him away, stumbling towards his general.

Anakin fell, panting at the ground, completely lost of what was happening around him. A hand grasped his shoulder.

Sabre at the ready, he threatened the young Togrutan man beside him. Immediately, the boy's hands were raised in the air.

"Master Jedi, you must follow me, quickly," He stuttered.

Anakin glanced at the fight behind him. Dooku was on his knees, shielded by General Grievous as he mercilessly cut through their rescuers.

"Now!" the boy begged.

Anakin nodded, closely following the boy as he hit a panel of the stone wall. It slid open. The pitch black was so thick, he could barely see anything ahead of him in the tunnel, but the boy pushed him inside, checking to see if their escape was noticed. With a final shove, the darkness swallowed them whole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fridays will continue to be my main posting day, it's just that Monday was Star Wars Day and Clone Wars finale so OBVIOUSLY I had to post then;) I hope you guys are eager to see what's next as we are introduced to Shilli's planet and people a little more.


	16. Do You Know The Enemy?

As soon as the panel locked behind them, the battle cries of what he assumed were the palace guards fell quiet. 

His light-sabre turned the walls blue and he focused on the boy’s face properly. He looked vaguely older than Ahsoka. However, unlike his Padawan, his facial markings were rounded, white against his soft yellow skin. A draft whistled through the tunnel as they trudged on in silence. Before it got too awkward, Anakin decided to be the one to break it. 

“What’s your name?” He asked. 

“Haki Yunto,” the boy said. “And you must be General Anakin Skywalker.”

He almost tripped over himself, stunned at the recognition. He knew that his name got mentioned on the holonet occasionally, but his reputation must’ve grown far more than he realised to have reached Shilli. 

“Don’t go getting a big head. You’re friends told me,” Haki added. 

The great General’s disappointment was outweighed by his own urgency at the information. “Where are they? Why are you helping us?”

“We’re allies now, are we not?” The boy turned around to look Anakin in the eye. The stare was more of a question, than a statement. 

“I suppose we are,” he settled for, suspicious of the boy’s tone. “That still doesn’t answer my question.”

Haki waved his hand dismissively. “These tunnels lead outside of the city walls. Your friends shouldn’t be too far ahead of us.”

Anakin wasn’t keen to speak up after that. He couldn’t hear the echoes of anybody ahead of them and they couldn’t have travelled that far that quickly. The silence grew once more. His sabre was firm in his grasp. 

“Those soldiers died for you.” 

Haki’s voice was barely above a whisper as he brought them to a halt. Anakin stepped back, watching as the boy’s fear turned bitter. He clenched his fists. “The least you could do is trust us.” 

“I never said I didn’t,” Anakin claimed. He’d only known other Jedi to be as perceptive as that. The intuitive accusation did little to settle his nerves. 

Haki sighed, starting back down the endless tunnel. “Whatever.”

After what felt like hours of trekking through the dark, Anakin made out the silhouette of dappled leaves. His limbs pushed further, on the verge of giving out on him entirely. When the two finally stepped out into the moonlight, he basked in their surroundings. Collections of giant trees encircled the tunnel’s entrance. Their spindly limbs would have made excellent climbing - had he had his troops with him, he would’ve ordered scouts to use them as lookouts. 

The trip continued, this time followed by the occasional ducking behind tree trunks at the sound of snapping branches or moseying villagers. They approached the edge of the forest where a tiny hut appeared. It overlooked the rest of the village centre, that sprawled over the tree ridden fields of red and orange. 

Upon closer inspection, the hut was not as small as Anakin would have guessed. A wooden staircase circled around a tree, leading up into what appeared to be a second floor. They stopped just by the door but even by then, Anakin heard the hushed whispering from inside. 

Haki knocked on the door in a little pattern - two loud knocks followed by two softer ones. It creaked open, revealing an elderly Togrutan woman. 

“You have visitors,” she called back, beckoning them inside the warmth of the homestead. 

Anakin could barely hold back from flinging himself into the fire lit room. He already sensed Ahsoka and Obi Wan far too strongly for them to be elsewhere. But as he looked around, the only other people there were the Togrutan and another human woman who looked a little over Obi Wan’s age, leaning back against the kitchen table.

“Haki, you took too long,” said the human, briskly walking over to his travel companion. She crossed her arms, frowning down at him for a moment. Then, she pulled him into a gentle hug. Haki welcomed it. Anakin glanced away, feeling intrusive.

“Yeah, I missed you too, Vance,” he replied, breaking away from the embrace. She eyed Anakin up and down, her curly grey hair yanked back into a messy bun. Her skin was a burnt almond colour, making the skepticism in her blue eyes pop. “Yes, you seem to match the description. They’re waiting for you downstairs with the others. Haki - “

The boy nodded. “We best be off. Overstayed our welcome down here anyway.”

Confused Anakin, tried to grab their attention as they pushed past him out the door into the chill of the night. 

“Wait a minute!” Anakin called out. 

A slap on his arm made him jump. The elderly woman caught his gaze and put a finger to her lips. “Shush…”

Haki took note and stopped to turn around anyway. “We just got here in one piece, don’t go announce it to the rest of the - ”

“Thank you,” Anakin said before he lost his nerve. “I’m sorry about your friends…”

Haki straightened up and he and Vance exchanged a funny look. “You best say that to the other officers downstairs. I was just here for the negotiations. Gotta head home now before we rouse suspicion.” He said, pointing up at the night sky. 

Annoyed that all his hard work mustering up some humility was wasted, Anakin simply nodded back to them and watched as the two disappeared into the trees. Closing the door, the woman tugged at his robes and led him across the wooden floor to a cupboard. Her lekku dragged on the ground as she opened it, frail hands searching the cracks for a hold. 

The inside was fairly vacant, with a few rows of herbs and spices. Reaching for another crevice, she meticulously pulled out the shelving, opening up a seperate section with a narrow drop. A ladder lead straight down. She stepped aside, waiting for Anakin.

“Well go on,” she croaked, shooing him in. 

Anakin carefully stepped in, shimmying sideways before descending. More warm coloured shadows greeted him as the whispering grew louder before falling silent. He jumped down with both feet on the ground, causing a plume of dust to kick up underneath him. His head was just inches from the roof of the bunker at his full height. 

Turning around, a room full of Togrutan men and women with yellow armour glared at him. Some were standing by a dining table, while others sat on the wide benches rimming the entire basement. But he scanned beyond them, registering the exhausted faces of Ahsoka and Obi Wan as they called out to him. 

“Anakin!” Ahsoka blurted out. He could just see between the gaps, as she helped Obi Wan sit upright on the bench made up with a mattress and a few ragged sheets. Anakin rushed over, the officers shuffling aside to let him through. Ahsoka had managed to keep most of her bandages and Obi Wan had acquired some new ones but he could see them smiling. Dirtied, beaten and bruised smilies beaming up at him. He parked himself on the edge of the bed, his hands gripping the shoulders of his master and apprentice. Ahsoka met his arm, holding onto it. 

“Vance led us here - they’re special forces from Numia who came down for the negotiations.” Obi Wan said. 

“He means they’re from the moon,” Ahsoka confirmed with a chuckle. 

Anakin scoffed. “I got that much from Haki. He helped me here - a real charmer, I can tell you that much.”

“Yup, that sounds about right for Vance, too,” she said. Obi Wan shook his head, turning to smile at Anakin. His master still seemed a bit foggy, especially considering all the displays of affection he was brushing over. But there was enough of him there to relish their reunion. 

Together they breathed, a moment of reprieve after having survived the day. 

He felt the urge to bring them in closer, like Vance had done just before. But he was becoming aware of the other officers glaring at the three of them. Reluctantly, he dropped his hands and turned back to face the small crowd of colourful, grumpy faces. 

“We can’t thank you enough for the rescue,” Obi Wan was the first to assure them. 

The burliest solider sat down at the head of the table, hands stroking his lekku in thought. He wore gold plated armour with red embellishments, signalling his rank. He studied the three of them as the rest of the officers followed his lead, taking their seats at the table. 

“Yes, we know. As far as we’re aware, we would’ve been allies had the negotiations been completed. However, we have not heard from our Queen since your Republic forces took her offworld.” 

His voice was deep and resonant, filling the acoustics of the muddy room. 

“We don’t even know if she went willingly…” a younger officer grumbled, staring daggers at a spot on the table. 

Anakin felt an argument rile up in his throat. They had just risked everything to save their queen. He’d had enough of accusations from Haki to last him the rest of the night. But before he could respond, Obi Wan cut in.

“I can assure you, she left safely with our Republic senators. Her last order to seal the alliance was to rescue Commander Tano, which we accomplished.”

Ahsoka suddenly perked up. She turned to Obi Wan, baffled at the information. As soon as she realised that he was too focused on the conversation at hand, she faced Anakin instead. He sensed a swirl of guilt collect itself around her force signature. 

“Me? Why me?” She whispered to him as the other conversation dragged on. 

He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know Snips. But you sure made an impression on her.” 

Slowly, she turned away to look at the ground, her focus lost. 

“- our warriors to die for you, and still you ask more of us?” The other conversation was getting out of hand as more officers piped up. 

“I’m sorry but I had to ask. The Republic can’t send more reinforcements until we can confirm for the Queen that Ahsoka is alive. We can’t do that until we destroy their long range jamming signal and we’ll need to rescue our men to have the best chance at success,” Obi Wan pleaded. 

“Then why not do it yourselves? You Jedi Knights are legendary fighters, freeing your clones shouldn’t be hard for you.” More chatter of agreement echoed the sentiment.

Anakin decided to step in to bolster Obi Wan’s support. “That would be too risky for us right now. We know that the Separatists are after Republic intel. Getting captured is the last thing we need. But, with our combined forces-”

“So is this how you Jedi forge alliances? Destroy our city and bleed us dry of our compassion until we submit to your way of thinking?” The woman from before stood up from her chair, slamming her fist on the table. “The Separatists took the city in a night while you were playing with Count Dooku. We had no Republic forces to protect our citizens! It was just us on those frontlines and we lost. And now you come in here, insisting that we risk even more for you like it’s our only option.”

Fierce cries of agreement rumbled the bunker, flickering the candles around the room. Obi Wan sighed, exhausted of the battle. 

“We are not your enemy!” Ahsoka shouted in exasperation. 

“And how do you know that?” She pointed at Ahsoka. 

“Because we want to help - “

“The Jedi only know how to help themselves and the Republic!” A man barked from the other side, scoffing. “Our system is just a pawn in their game, don’t you see that young one? Or have these Jedi brainwashed you so much that you’re willing to blindly fight their battles and die on their orders-“

“What did you say - “ Anakin was on the verge of standing up and giving the officer a piece of his mind (or his fist, whichever acted first). 

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Roared the General from across the table. The other officers fell into an immediate silence. The man gulped down the rest of his response, shuffling back into his seat.

“The Child of Shilli is right. We are not enemies. But Master Jedi, you must realise that we have sacrificed far too much for the Republic in one night. We rescued you as a show of faith. But we cannot extend more of our forces for you in good conscience,” He said, quietly. His voice smoothed out the previous tension, covering his bases with his officers’ queries. He let the silence grow. Obi Wan bowed his head. 

“We understand,” he said.

The general stood up, returning the gesture. The others followed suite with a clattering of furniture.

“Good. Now rest - you’ll need your strength for the trials to come…” 

The rest of the officers left one by one, occasionally eyeing them off. 

The clunk of the cupboard door closing upstairs signalled that they were finally alone.

“Well that was…” Anakin begun.

“Yeah…” Ahsoka finished for him, sighing.

Obi Wan looked between the two of them, still parked on his makeshift bed.

“There should be more sheets under the benches. I suggest we all get some rest. Don’t worry about taking shifts tonight.”

Anakin was already bending down to rustle up some bedding, collecting an extra pair of sheets to set up Ahsoka’s bed. 

“Are you sure Master Kenobi? I can always -“ Ahsoka began but Obi Wan squeezed her shoulder before she could speak further.

“You have done enough for today, Ahsoka,” he said.

“Out of all of us, you deserve the most sleep, Snips,” Anakin commented, smoothing out the blankets. 

She nodded, distractedly getting up to pick out her sleeping gear, only to get redirected by Anakin to a freshly made bed. A breathy chuckle arose from her, the exhaustion on full display. 

“A ghost must have made this, ” she mumbled, sounding far too much like the youngling back on Christophsis. 

“Hey…” Anakin said, nudging her playfully. A tired smirk travelled from his face to Obi Wan’s. Even in the most dire of situations, her snippy attitude was as strong as ever. 

She flopped onto the bed, shuffling herself into the sheets. Her head hit the pillow but her eyes stayed fixed on the roof. Anakin went out on a limb and spoke up.

“Rex and the others are okay, Ahsoka,” he said. 

She broke off the staring competition with the wooden ceiling, rolling onto her side. “I know… Thanks, Master.”

Soft snoring followed shortly afterwards. Obi Wan gave him a pointed look, the memories of similar situations flowing back to him.

“Come now, Anakin; rest.” 

After all of the arguing that had occurred that night, Anakin fell into bed without a complaint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for sticking with me! As promised, here is your chapter of the week! Since this is a particularly chunky one, I'll leave you to it. Next week, I will most likely post two chapters (I have a little storage of them in case I get lazy and don't write a chapter during the week - this way, even if that happens, you guys still have a chapter posted anyway and it gives me time to get my butt into gear;P)


	17. Good Mourning

_"_ _Obi Wan, promise me you will train the boy."_

_Heavy._

_He felt too heavy and too fragile. This was never how Qui Gon Jinn was meant to be._

_"_ _Yes, Master," was all he could say, breathless and scattered after his battle with the Sith Lord. After defeating a Sith Lord._

_The man's eyes gazed up at him, a strange sort of clarity filling his vision. As his final effort, his Master brushed tears away from Obi Wan's face._

_"_ _He is the chosen one. He will bring balance," his voice grew softer, more distant. His Padawan could do little else but listen with every ounce of respect he had taught him. Qui Gon's eyes faded elsewhere._

 _"_ _Train him…"_

* * *

Obi Wan woke up to the muted ambience of the shelter.

At a quick glance, he noted his companions still slept, heavy and peaceful in their makeshift bunks.

Silently, he sat upright, rubbing his bandaged forehead. A familiar dull ache swelled in his chest.

That memory hadn't resurfaced in a long time. The scar kept him company on occasion. Often, it would linger when he revisited places like Naboo. Sometimes, during his talks with Duchess Satine, they would reminisce of their adventures together. His former Master would eventually come up in conversation, followed by quiet remarks and fond memories. Then by nightfall, he would be alone with his Master's last wish echoing in the Temple hallways. This time, perhaps Dooku's taunting had affected more than he realised. Or perhaps, it was a warning.

As Obi Wan stood up, Anakin roused, taking his bed sheets with him. Instead of chiding him or prodding him awake, he decided to let the 'Hero with No Fear' have a lie in.

For as many mistakes and mishaps that had occurred the previous day, Anakin had proven himself capable of putting his mission first. The little boy from Tatooine had come a long way from his days of running away from Sith Lords. He'd even come a long way from the days of running towards them to take them by himself. Finally, Obi Wan saw him express humility and actually ask for help, something he'd always struggled to teach him. He hoped that was the reason that his memory of Qui Gon returned. As a reminder that he'd taught him well enough to get them through this.

He knew they'd have difficult choices to face that day. Between The Republic and the Shili system, his duty as a Jedi General bound him to one option. With Ahsoka and the intel stuck down here, they were putting the entire war campaign at risk. Without the support of Shilli's army to mount a rescue operation for their troops, that left them with one choice. They needed to escape Shilli.

He knew that. The knowledge gnawed away at him, chewing at his every desire to stay and save his Commander and the rest of their troops. But he had to be the one with restraint. He knew this could be their only course of action. He also knew that he'd have to convince the other two of that.

A yawn erupted from behind him. Anakin stretched his arms up, his fingers just grazing the roof.

"Good morning," Obi Wan said.

"Morning," he croaked in response, feet flinging off of the bed. He turned to check on Ahsoka one bench over, her arm flung over the edge of it.

"Morning," he said again in her direction.

Ahsoka grumbled beside them, digging her head further into the pillow.

"C'mon Padawan, time to rise and shine," he tried again.

She waved him away with a limp hand, making vague noises of acknowledgement.

Anakin Skywalker, frowned. Already alert and energised he strolled over to his student. He winked at Obi Wan who folded his arms and leaned back against the table, ready for the show. In one smooth motion, he yanked the pillow out from underneath her head.

"Hey!" She said, snapping awake and pushing herself upright.

The two older Jedi stared at her, amused at her sudden peppiness.

She looked down at the messy den of bedding. Then back to her Jedi masters. As her brain caught up, she conceded.

"Alright, I probably deserved that."

"Uh huh," her Master replied unleashing his trademark grin. "Now that we're all awake, we can discuss our plan of attack."

Obi Wan felt the phantom pains of a headache begin to take hold. He wasn't quite ready for another argument yet, especially not so soon after fighting his last one.

Just as they started chatting, a knocking arose from the hole above the ladder; loud, loud, soft, soft.

The three looked up before staring at each other for a course of action. Answering knocking doors wasn't the best way to hide from your enemies.

A muffled voice echoed through the floorboards.

"It means, you can come up now!" Said the old woman from the night before.

Ahsoka turned to Anakin for permission. He gave Obi Wan a shrug.

"I suppose you two wouldn't say no to a spot of breakfast first?" His former Master offered.

Anakin and Ahsoka were obviously taken aback at Obi Wan's relaxed attitude. After the two exchanged a bewildered look, both nodded their strong approval. "We'll talk tactics later then," he agreed.

The three made their way up to the hut, grateful for the space. Although the remnants of the chilled night still hung in the air, the beams of sunlight pouring through the windows were warm to walk into. A wafting smell of smoked meats drifted to them from the kitchen. Odd scraps of red and tan cloth were hung around the room, each embroided with dark pink designs.

The woman wasn't there. Obi Wan tensed, shamefully thankful for the lightsabre at his side. But Ahsoka, with the utmost focus, walked over to an intricate drawing on the wall, framed by a piece of fabric. On it, was a very young girl. She had bright red skin and white facial markings. She was captured mid giggling fit, sat on a woman's lap. Her arms were wrapped around child's sides, smiling broadly.

The familiarity was almost ghostly. Her own village was on the other side of the planet, far from the red and orange trees of the Northern Hemisphere. Still, it was almost as if that little girl could've been herself, had she squinted at it.

"My daughter," a voice came from above them. Ahsoka jumped, spinning around to face the woman, with matching smile lines carved into her wrinkled face. She descended from the stairs curling around the tree that sprung up on the edge of the room. Anakin inched closer to Ahsoka whereas Obi Wan held still, watching the moment unfold.

"She was the pride and joy of our village. Such a presence…" her voice trailed away to another time, as she walked to stand next to Ahsoka, lost in the image. "My village detested me when I let her go. But I knew that she was destined for more than what I could give her here."

The familiarity from before snapped into clarity as she did a double take staring at the depiction of the child. The white facial markings, encircling her eyes. The elderly woman gripped Ahsoka's arm with an aged intensity. Her smile broadened.

"I'll gladly welcome any Jedi into my home. For my little Shaak."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll hit you guys with two chapters this week because this one's a little short (but cute!) As always, thank you so much for all the comments and reviews, it really helps me to keep going!


	18. Duty and Death

Breakfast had been held upstairs. Although they were far more exposed than they would’ve been down in the bunker, Anakin’s protests were silenced by the onslaught of assorted meats and breads that their host - Kohma - generously provided. And General Skywalker couldn’t deny that the view from the second floor, was something to behold.

They could see the entire landscape of the village stretch out below them. The shy morning sun peaked over the horizon. A fog had settled in between the tall red grasses, like it was emerging from the forrest to greet the villagers as they started their days. Piles of wood stacks sat collected in the village centre, with men carrying wheelbarrows more to add to it. Beside it, lay several large bundles of cloth. Anakin looked away, a pang of guilt settling in his gut.

To say it was a quiet breakfast, wouldn’t be accurate. The rustling treetops was a comforting white noise. It certainly helped to blanket the awkward chewing sounds erupting from the table. Granted, these sounds were mostly produced by himself and Ahsoka. Obi Wan sipped his tea, the picture of Jedi sophistication. Kohma did little else but smile at them, occasionally engaging in polite small talk.

“Ms Tii, how long have you lived here for?” Obi Wan asked.

She tapped her nose in thought. “Since Shaak was a little girl. I moved here after she was born.”

A question hung in the air, kindly untouched. Obi Wan thought it best not to press for details, worried about being intrusive. Ahsoka noticed his hesitation and tactfully picked up the subject.

“Kohma-“ she began.

“That’s Aunty Kohma to you, little one!” She jested, winking at her.

A brief moment of pain crossed Ahsoka’s face before she quickly replaced it with a warm smile. Anakin noted her tightness. Ever since they’d discovered that their host was Shaak Tii’s mother, each one of her actions had a new tinge of longing attached to it. Her eagerness of his Padawan’s presence was obvious. With an old melancholy, he wondered when the last time was that she had seen her own daughter…

“Of course. Aunty Kohma - what happened to Master Shaak Tii’s father?” She posed, ready to accept her silence as an answer.

Kohma’s breath hitched. Her tense excitement faded. The elder slowly turned to gaze out the window to face the village. Smoke begun to rise. Her eyes became glossy once again.

“He passed on a few years back. After the Jedi took Shaak away, he couldn’t forgive me. He left Shilli and I never heard from him again...”

Under the table, Ahsoka balled her fists, staring down at her almost empty plate. Anakin glanced toward Kohma, the old pain stirring within him stronger. How long had this mother been waiting for her child to return home? Obi Wan gently placed his cup on the table.

“If you didn’t know of his whereabouts, how did you discover that he passed on?” he inquired, delicately.

Her demeanour shifted. She smiled at the Jedi Master. A strange gleam sparked in the woman’s eyes with an ancient mischievous wisdom he had only seen perfected by one other.

“The Force is all around us, Master Kenobi. It whispers to us constantly. I may not be a Jedi, but I know how to listen.”

Ahsoka finally looked up at her, surprised. The woman patted her hands under the table and Ahsoka’s grip loosened. Shili’s hostility towards the Jedi was evident. Again and again, she was forced to justify her life in The Order and the part she played in the war. A nagging feeling had begun to eat away at her that perhaps they were right.

She recalled the previous night, marching the palace tunnels with Vance and Obi Wan. Their guide hadn’t exactly warmed to them but she had asked her some strangely personal questions.

_“How old are you, Padawan?” Vance said, not bothering to slow down or turn around._

_Ahsoka caught Obi Wan exchanging her a quirked eyebrow in the light of his sabre. She answered as simply as she could._

_“16.”_

_Vance’s stride faltered and the two had managed to catch up to her._

_“You’ve been commanding troops all this time?” She said, continuing ahead._

_“Yeah...” she replied, unsure of her point._

_Obi Wan chimed in, ready to be included in the chat. “It’s been a long war for everybody. Hopefully, you’ve helped us bring it to a swifter end.”_

That had been the extent of the conversation, yet, it reinforced so many arguments she’d heard levied against the Jedi Order over the last 24 hours.

To have Kohma indulge her with such reassurance in her beliefs was a refreshing change.

With great caution, Kohma stood up to clear away the plates. Anakin immediately shoved his chair out behind him to help. This behaviour was highly unusual for the infamous General but he barely spared Obi Wan or Ahsoka a chance to tease him for it.

All of them moved downstairs, thanking Kohma for the meal as she bid them farewell before venturing into the village, not specifying her reasons for it. She hurried off with a strange intensity, flying out the door at a speedy waddle.

The door remained open. Obi Wan briskly shut it behind her. Still holding the handle, he turned to his friends.

“So... the plan.”

Anakin folded his arms, straightening up with a huff.

“We’ll need to locate Rex and the men. We can probably guess that if they’ve taken the city, they’ll be held somewhere within the palace,” he started.

Ahsoka leaned back against the kitchen table, arms folded.

“If that’s the case, it’ll be heavily fortified. Even sneaking around the tunnels, it’ll be difficult to evade their forces without a diversion,” she replied, matching his tone and pace.

Obi wan remained silent and unnoticed, watching and waiting for their conclusions.

“Better than trying to attack the long range jammer ourselves. No, getting the others first will be key. We can’t risk getting captured again, now we know they’re after the Nexus Route,” her master responded. There was an implied “you” in the statement that he graciously left out.

Ahsoka unfolded her arms, caught in the momentum of brain storming.

“Any move that we make for Rex will tell Greivous that we’re going to attack the Jammer.”

Anakin sighed and began pacing the tiny wooden hut.

“I know. We’ll also need to know the lay of the land if we’re going to navigate our way from the palace to wherever the Jammer is...”

Ahsoka paused for a brief moment before speaking up again. Her voice was neutrally hopeful.

“Maybe we can ask Kohma if there’s any Shilli warriors willing to help us?”

Anakin laughed. “They already made themselves clear. We can’t count on their help.”

“We don’t know if all of them were here last night,” she protested.

“Ahsoka, I’m not willing to risk the fate of the Republic on some soldiers who didn’t turn up to a meeting.” Anakin said firmly. Before Ahsoka could accuse him of irony for being a soldier who detested turning up for meetings, he continued on. “Besides, I don’t want to give the rest of them more reasons to hate us. Our alliance has gotten off to a shaky start as it is.”

Ahsoka was about to spit back a remark, but halted before she could. She held herself steady, staring at Anakin. Amidst the silence, he turned to the still Obi Wan.

“Master? Would you like to contribute anything to the conversation?” Anakin sniped at him, annoyed at their quickly dwindling options.

Obi Wan looked him in the eye, stoic and calm as ever, before walking to the middle of the room to address them both.

“We can’t take out their long range jammer by ourselves, and any attempt to rescue our men without a diversion or reinforcements will result in our capture and subsequent torture for the intel,” he opened, chilling the sunny room.

“Loving the optimism so far, Obi Wan,” Anakin muttered.

Obi Wan shot him a glare before continuing.

“If the Seperatists obtain that information, they’ll attack Coruscant. Our duty as Jedi Generals is to the Republic. There’s no question here of what we need to do.”

Anakin clenched his fists, his gaze falling to the floor. He knew the exact move his master had pulled off. He’d done the same to Ahsoka a couple of times during the war whenever she tired desperately to look for a win/win scenario. Sometimes, there just wasn’t one there and you needed to accept defeat. Ahsoka stood up from the kitchen bench, stepping forward.

“We’re not running,” she said, as if stating the obvious. She nodded to Anakin without looking at him, believing he was already backing her up.

The older Jedi Master sighed, the headache from before beginning to return in full force.

“Ahsoka, freeing our troops and Shilli is going to be impossible without Republic reinforcements-“

“They don’t have to be Republic reinforcements! If you just let me ask, I’m sure if I could convince the others to help us,” she burst out. It had been a while since Ahsoka had acted out of line in such a vocal way. Anakin could barely remember his own procedure for dealing with it.

“Snips, you know I hate to admit this, but Obi Wan’s right. We can’t go back for Rex and the others.” He spoke gently but the words tasted bitter in his mouth. “We have to retreat offworld.”

“What? No, there’s got to be another way,” she said, picking up Anakin’s previous bout of pacing.

Obi Wan looked to Anakin, surprised at the ease with which he came around. He decided to make it easier on him and took the lead. He walked up to Ahsoka and put a grounding hand on her shoulder. Like her Master, she seemed more responsive to tactile feedback.

“I know it’s a difficult choice to make but Rex and Cody are good soldiers. They’ll understand why.”

Her breathing became stiff.

“Maybe they shouldn’t have to...” she muttered, locking eyes with him. “And what about my people?”

Obi Wan was stunned. He hadn’t imagined that Ahsoka would be the one to put up such a fight. He removed his hand and crossed his arms inside the sleeves of his robe.

“They’ll have to hold out a little longer. The security of the Republic capital must come first, especially during war time-“

“I can’t just abandon them. Not after everything I said in the negotiations about being proud to be a Jedi; being ready to protect them.”

She was on a roll and Obi Wan was ready to throw in the towel. The Jedi master had had enough. With a beleaguered sigh, he walked away, sitting down at the table. His former Padawan marched forward to step in front of her.

“Ahsoka, your duty is to the Republic,” he started off strong, pulling on a facade of restraint.

“I’m a Jedi. My duty is to those who need us,” she shot back, on the balls of her feet and craning her neck upwards in an attempt to stare him down.

Anakin readjusted himself. He still had a few arguments up his sleeve.

“The best way to help them right now, is to let the Queen know you’re safe so she can send reinforcements.”

“And it’d be far quicker to send her a transmission if we convince the locals to help us destroy the jammer.”

Ahsoka’s reasoning was secure. She wasn’t going to back down.

“You have the Nexus Route. We can’t let that intel fall into Separatist hands,” he tried once more, struggling against the temptation to just agree with her.

“It never would. I’d die before I let that happen.”

Her words cracked his mask as the weight of the vow struck him. His face turned stony and the restraint from before melted away. From the table, Obi Wan lifted his head up, sensing Anakin’s dramatic change of mood.

“We’re leaving this planet.” His hair obscured his eyes but his voice was steely.

“No,” she protested, defiant and unaware of how fragile his control was.

His cold rage snapped.

“You have no choice in the matter, _Padawan_. You will leave this planet and deliver yourself to Coruscant. _That is an order!_ ” His sudden roar shook the nearby tubs of fruits and spices. Ahsoka blinked up at him, refusing to look away or even breathe. He met her gaze with twice the intensity. “Is that understood?”

For as long as it had been since she had defied him like this, it had been even longer since he had silenced an argument like that. The formality with which he had called her “Padawan” stung. In the recent months, it had felt like they were on the same footing. That he trusted her judgement like he might Obi Wan’s. Or at least like he used, before the Rako Hardeen incident.

Ahsoka Tano broke first. She let go of her held breath, defeated.

“Yes, Master Skywalker.”

His nod to her was almost imperceptible. Obi Wan felt a well of sympathy stir within him for the adolescent. He knew he’d been tough on Anakin during his apprenticeship, but he’d never recalled arguments of that caliber. But then again, maybe he just didn’t want to.

The smell of smoke wafted through the hut as the trio drank in the silence. In the tiny spaces of the windows inbetween the leaves, grey clouds bloomed into the sky. Ahsoka respectfully closed her eyes upon hearing the distant wailing from the ceremony. She knew the others couldn’t hear it as well as she could, thanks to her montrals. But she was certain that they sensed the pain resonating in the force.

Ahsoka let her own feelings mix in with the swell, aware that by the end of the day, she would abandon them, as her people, their Queen and her troops had refused to do for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, sorry to leave you guys on a bit of a bummer but this is the way it's gotta be! Thanks again for staying tuned, I really appreciate ya'll.


	19. It's A Parade! (The Not So Fun Kind)

The sun, once warm and gentle, now beat down on them as they were paraded through the city. A thousand colourful, scared faces, hid behind doors, staring at them from apartment windows and tiny stalls that lined the streets. The troops slogged on, chained together as kicked up dust coated their armour red. Even with blasters pointed at their heads, Commander Cody marched alongside his brothers with as much dignity as he had always maintained.

Their escape plan to steal a shuttle was supposed to be simple. In hindsight, it was too simple. He rarely worked with General Skywalker's Padawan, but he respected her swift evaluation and the respect was returned - Commander to Commander. However, her presence was sorely missed when they arrived to a landing platform full of battle droids. There was barely enough of them to sustain much of a firefight. And any resistance was thoroughly crushed upon the arrival of the Droid General Grievous.

He'd faced General Grievous one too many times. General Kenobi would joke that the Cyborg must track his movements considering how often they'd meet. All of those times, he'd had his Jedi General by his side; always calm and confident in the face of chaos.

In that palace, on that landing platform, _they were alone..._

He was snapped back to reality, as a shiny to his side groaned. The trooper clutched what was left of his arm. From the corner of his eye, he could see Kix sidestep towards him. Cody rummaged his brain, searching for a name and number. _Ct - 4897… Torq_ , he recalled with a sting of sympathy. He had just managed to earn his yellow stripes.

Upon their capture, Grevious had immediately questioned them for their Jedi's whereabouts. None of them spoke a word. Cody knew each and every one of his troops would die before handing their Generals over to the Separatists. But Grevious couldn't accept their silence as an answer.

" _Tell me their location now, or watch your fellow clones die!_ " Grevious hacked, prowling up and down the line of clone troopers.

There was a sudden rush of movement. With the hiss of a lightsaber, Torq fell silently to his knees, cradling the cauterised stump of his elbow. Shallow breaths echoed around them.

" _Leave him alone you overgrown tin can!"_ Fives spat. Cody had to admit that the arc trooper had heart. But his attitude often left them in compromising situations. The General coughed, clunking away to tower over him.

" _I'll grant him a quick death if you tell me where the Jedi are?_ " The General lifted his sabre to Five's throat on the last word. Rex clenched his fists behind his head. The 212th's Commander snapped into action.

 _"_ _You can't afford to kill us. You don't know how many were on the Citadel mission,"_ he barked, borrowing some of the 501st's infamous lip.

Fives cast him a glance and the look of astonishment on his face almost made up for the giant cyborg now stalking towards him.

" _Cody…_ " Rex muttered beside him. His concern didn't go unnoticed. Torq's arm lying across the floor was warning enough. But he knew he was right. Being Commander to "The Great Negotiator" had its benefits in that regard.

Greivous inched so close, he could smell the rotting breath from under his armour. His eyes looked more dead than alive. The Commander stood taller. He refused to give him the satisfaction of another fight with General Kenobi. Not today.

Unfortunately, a B1 battle droid did it for him.

 _"Sir! Our tactical droid has an update!"_ It squeaked. The General whipped around to face it down with as much loathing as he'd shown the clones. The poor droid flinched before whimpering, _"The Jedi have been spotted in the palace throne room. With your forces, there is an 89% chance of detainment._ "

The General's laughterter swelled into a crescendo of coughing fits. Giving Cody one more despising glare, he flicked his cape at them and marched off to his shuttle...

Now, after a night of sporadic bouts of sleep in the palace dungeons, the droids were keeping them to a steady pace down the main road of the overrun city. Kix attempted to lean in closer to Torq, desperate to help his wounded brother. At the speed they were going, it was almost impossible for the medic to make any significant headway adjusting his bandages correctly. The atypical movement within the parade of clones stirred the focus of their droid entourage.

"Eyes forward, clone!" one whined, bumping up against his heels.

Kix lifted his hands in the air. His head hung low, his shoulders folding in on themselves. Their resident medic didn't just look tired - he looked trampled. Determined to help somehow, he turned to Rex for any creative ideas. Of course Rex had been watching the entire thing unfold. After the Umbarra incident, the Captain of the 501st Battalion had become far more attuned to the toll on his brothers. Cody had barely had a chance to understand the whole incident. But he remembered the look of devastation each one of his brothers wore. That alone told him far more than any report ever could.

Rex carefully nodded at him, before glancing over his shoulder at the droids behind them. Even with the helmet on, Cody knew that he was grinning. His feet begun to drag behind him, forcing his droid captors to momentarily slow down. The move was subtle, yet effective. Catching on, Tup adjusted his strides, followed up Boil and some of the 212th (who were ready to cause some mischief for once). Fives stretched his hands in the air, yawning with gusto. A soft chuckle arose from one or two of the Shiny's.

"Keep marching!" Squawked more droids. "Hey, I can't see!" Another cried out.

With a blanket of tiny distractions covering up his intent, Kix tended to the wound, tightening his bandages and applying some bacta salve he managed to hide. Cody knew that without hydration, they would all eventually succumb to their exhaustion. But the display of camaraderie helped ease his heart a little. Whatever happened, he would face it with his brothers.

Noticing how far ahead they were, the commando droids flanking the precession halted their ransacking of nearby stalls and citizens. They jogged back toward the group and after a few blaster barrels levelled at head height, the clones once again picked up the pace.

"Why do they want us out here? They've given us a better chance of escape…" Rex muttered to Cody.

Cody thought it through strategically. He knew the Separatists had taken the city and that thankfully, their Generals and the Commander had somehow evaded capture. For the Separatists, there was only one objective left to complete.

"We're bait to draw out the others," he replied. Their state of helplessness frustrated him to no end, especially when he could understand each and every move that Greivous had made.

Rex cursed quietly. "If we don't find a way out of this soon…"

Cody nodded, gazing to the citizens cowering with each metal footfall. He spotted a mother dragging her child away from the window.

"I know. The Generals will have a plan. We just gotta hold out until we know what it is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! My apologies for the shorter chapter this week - it's been a bit hectic for me recently. But that won't stop you guys from getting a weekly dose of Clone Wars goodness! Thank you for sticking with me, your comments give me life so please comment away, it helps a bunch. 
> 
> P.S. I hope you enjoyed the Cody POV Cuthalion, I did have you in mind;)
> 
> P.P.S Oh yeah! Since it's a shorter chapter this week, you guys get some more stuff! I made a Tumblr for any art I make about my fan fictions! At the moment, there's 3 drawings up about this fic so if you're still starving for content, you can visit it right here: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/suryarolt


	20. A Change of Heart, Mind and Strategy

Kohma returned home, assorted vegetables in hand and three moody Jedi arguing inside her house. She had barely reached for the handle before she decided against interrupting. From the serious tones and the furious rate of their babbling, Kohma thought it best to leave them to it. She turned back to look up at General Rhok, whom she had convinced to speak with the Jedi again about updates on the situation with their clone friends in the capital. Currently, he was stacked with three bundles of hooded ponchos and four woven bags of other necessary groceries.

She lifted a finger to her lips and gestured him to the fire pit around the back. He sighed, shrugging the ponchos back into place before trudging behind her. She smiled warmly at her nephew, always glad for his stoic company.

“They seem to be sorting out some issues so why don’t we just wait here until they figure it out,” she winked, lowering herself to sit on the ebony bark of the tree trunk. As carefully as he could, General Rhok copied her, placing the bags on the floor. His aunt rummaged around in her pockets with one hand, gesturing for the ponchos with the other. He sighed, getting up with a creak and handing her the three ponchos.

“Oh I only need two dearie. One of our guests already has montrals.”

He gave her a confused look that quickly morphed into a smirk as she brought out some thread and a needle, ready to sew up the montral holes for the human Jedi.

Sitting back down, Kohma busied herself with getting to work whilst Rhok leaned forward, hands locked in front of him, elbows on his knees. The smoke from the ceremony still curled higher into the sky. They’d been lucky to retrieve any of the bodies of the fallen guards. As per tradition, the entire village had gathered that morning to support the families. With a heavy heart, he realised he could still hear them crying over the funeral pyres. _This is what they don’t see,_ he thought wearily. _This is the calamity that they don’t stay long enough to recognise._

“You know, we can’t help them again, Aunty Kohma,” he insisted. “The others wouldn’t stand for it, especially not since this morning with the news of the pillaging in the inner city.”

Kohma hummed away, weaving in and out of the soft warm brown of the material.

“If we don’t treat our guests as one of our own, then we’ve disgraced our traditions,” she muttered delicately.

General Rhok scoffed, rolling back his burly shoulders.

“But it’s not about that. They vowed to protect our people but so far their words are empty-“

“Oh dearie, could you please move that way a little bit?” She asked suddenly, waving her hand to his left side. The older woman scrunched her nose, blinking wildly in the direct sunlight. With a few uncharacteristic grumbles, General Rhok shuffled his body to intercept the sun beams. She smiled at him again and set back to work in the newly shaded patch. His previous argument died in his throat, too tired to affirm what had already been said.

“She reminds you of Shaak, does she not?”

Her nephew leaned backwards, solemnly. She must’ve been referring to the Padawan learner who spoke at the negotiations. Although he was impressed with her resolve, she was far too young to be leading during a war, despite her mild resemblance to his cousin.

“I don’t know - she doesn’t really look like her or act like her at all-“

“But she does remind you of her, yes?” She insisted, halting her work to stare at him.

His breaths were controlled and deliberate. The Padawan’s orange skin and intricate markings were most unlike his cousin’s but the more he pondered, the more her realised that his Aunty was right. It was the way she held herself. It was her energy and assurance and the strange mature dignity she displayed. From his earliest memories of Shaak, she was simultaneously a bundle of joy and calm. Whenever he would catch glimpses of her on the holonet, he could see how much had changed. The spark of joy had been replaced by a serene hardiness. Yet, the wise dignity when she folded her arms was such a powerful reminder that she was once apart of their village. That she had found her calling with the Jedi, like he had as apart of The Royal Shilli Army. The difference was that her duty had nothing to do with them anymore.

He remained quiet, unsure of what his Aunt wanted to hear from him.

She conceded, moving back to her work.

“They need you. That’s all that should matter.”

He chewed on her pointed statement. The sounds of the argument dimmed from within the hut, a breeze picking up as if to blow away the fumes. The relatives noticed this in the same moment, staring at one another once more. Kohma winked at him with a sly smile. General Rhok sighed, deciding to avoid the mistakes that the Jedi had made. He knew that it was fruitless to try to argue with his aunt.

“Then I believe that’s our cue.”

* * *

As soon as he heard Ahsoka latch the bunker closed, Anakin’s temper begun to wither and die. His hands loosened from being tightly clasped behind his back and his shoulders sunk. He faced the kitchen window and watched the last wisps of smoke dissipate into the sky. _You did the right thing_ , his mind chanted. _You’re the master and she’s the Padawan - you have the final say._

His gut backflipped, climbing up into his chest in an attempt to shut up his brain. It didn’t feel like the right decision but then again, what other choices did? It felt like the kind of decision Obi Wan and the council would’ve made. Therefore, it should be the correct path and yet…

_“The security of the Republic capital must come first, especially during war time-“_

_“Or have these Jedi brainwashed you so much that you’re willing to blindly fight their battles and die on their orders-“_

_“I’d die before I let that happen…”_

_Why_ was he really making this choice? He knew it was his duty as General Anakin Skywalker, leader of the Grand Army of the Republic to protect Coruscant. But was it his duty as a Jedi to abandon his men and the people who saved them? Obi Wan seemed to think so. No matter what kind of sticky situation they were in, Obi Wan was his compass. His old master would always know what to do without any kind of deliberation. Sure, they would fight about a course of action but during the rare times when Anakin was uncertain of himself, Obi Wan was there.

He knew he was right about having to leave the planet. But on a deeper level, he questioned their line of logic - or at least their blind faith in it.

“Anakin…”

Obi Wan Kenobi had mastered the art art of saying his name in a disappointed fashion.

“What?” He snapped, barely lifting his head to talk to him. “I agreed with you.”

He heard Obi Wan shuffle in his seat uncomfortably.

“Yes, you did,” he remarked, quiet and steady. “Why is that?”

Anger boiled up again as Anakin spun around to face him.

“Because we have Republic intel. Because the Separatists are jamming our transmissions. Because The Queen of this system placed the fate of the alliance on the life of a teenager!” 

Obi Wan leaned on the table, holding up his chin with his bridged hands. The glint of sympathy made his line of questioning even more unbearable.

“Not because you realised that Ahsoka was prepared to die for the mission?”

Anakin’s laughter bled through him, harsh and bitter. “Typical; the one time I support you and you’re trying to lecture me.”

He shook his head, leaning back on the chair. “Not at all. But if you think there’s a better way to go about this, I want to hear it, Anakin. You’re a talented strategist and I trust your judgment.”

Anakin glared at him, arms folded and back rigid.

“… most of the time,” Obi Wan added. “You’re not the only one with concerns about leaving. If possible, I want to hear your thoughts about a plan B.”

The Jedi Knight took three deep breaths. He detected none of his Master’s usual sass in his tone, which if anything, made him more wary about the conversation. Still, he knew if he had the opportunity to talk, he needed to take it. Anakin strode over to the table and sat down diagonally opposite him.

“It doesn’t feel right to leave Rex and the clones behind - or to abandon these people,” he started.

Obi Wan nodded, waiting for him to continue.

“And I believe that if there’s even a chance we can help them, we have to take it.”

“Usually, I would agree with you but what about the intel?”

“I know, I know, we can’t risk getting caught but-“ Anakin’s eyes lit up, like a thousand puzzle pieces beginning to take shape.

Obi Wan counted in his head, waiting for the reveal of the probably desperate and potentially excellent plan Anakin’s brain plotted out.

“But?” He pried.

“Ahsoka,” he said, slightly breathless with the buzz of activity in his nervous system. “Ahsoka is the only one who can’t get caught. She’s the one who has to get off world - not us.”

The older Jedi stoked his ginger beard in thought.

“If Ahsoka leaves by herself, we’d still be trapped here.”

“Not if we manage to rescue the clones,” Anakin interrupted, his hand gestures becoming crisper. “And not if she waits for us as our getaway driver.”

Obi Wan slowly nodded along to the plan, catching Anakin’s tidal wave of a drift.

“If we’re successful in freeing the clones and escaping the city, then our chances of destroying the long range jammer increase drastically.”

“And if we’re don’t, Ahsoka leaves the planet without us and sends for reinforcements!”

A dumb, contagious grin spread across the young general’s face. Obi Wan couldn’t help but allow him this small victory.

“Anakin - you’re a genius.”

Anakin stood up again, his manic energy spewing optimism.

“Glad you finally noticed,” he quipped.

Kohma decided then to creak the door open.

“Is it safe yet?” She squirmed, squinting through the crack. Someone else was behind her. A brief moment of alarm hit Anakin before he relaxed at the vaguely familiar presence.

“Yes, Ms Tii,” Obi Wan supplied, humoured by her antics.

She slid herself into the hut, followed by the Shili Guard General from the meeting the night before. He squared up in a dignified manner as cloth bags of what he could smell were groceries, swung from his arms.

“I don’t believe we properly met,” he said to Anakin. “General Rhok of the Royal Shili Army.”

“General Anakin Skywalker of the Grand Army of the Republic,” he replied, shaking his least occupied hand.

“I’ll leave you to it then! It’s all been a bit exciting for me. I’ll be in my room should you need me dearie!” She called out to Rhok, slipping into the narrow corridor. His grip on Anakin’s hand tightened as he acknowledged her.

“Thank you, Aunty Kohma,” he called back, his lekku turning a shade darker.

The grand facade of the introduction collapsed. Obi Wan stroked his beard, attempting to cover up a smile.

“I came here to offer what information I could,” he started up again, intriguing both Jedi. Anakin turned to Obi Wan who stared at him in that infuriating way that he was trying to tell him to do something.

“What information?” He said bluntly and could just feel the waves of annoyance roll off of his old master.

The General searched the room before answering. “Information on the whereabouts of your troops,” he said distractedly. The two Jedi lit up at the news. This was exactly what they needed. Rhok continued. “My apologies for asking, but where’s your Padawan?”

_Oh. That’s what he meant,_ Anakin thought. Ahsoka had been adamant about gathering support from the other Shili officers. From their experiences of the night before, he’d been quick to shut her down about it. Now, here stood the Shili General himself, offering his help, just like his Padawan said might happen.

He heaved a sigh, allowing the sincerity reach his voice. He knew what had to happen. 

“Actually, I think she’s the one you should talk to first. She’s just downstairs.”

The General initially seemed confused, but walked towards the cupboard doors anyway.

The broad shouldered Togruta calmly cracked it open, avoiding knocking over the jars of mixed spices. Before he could open the final shelf, Anakin stopped him.

“She was right about you,” he added in barely a mutter, hoping that his Padawan’s excellent hearing wouldn’t catch it. “I told her you couldn’t help us. She called me out on it and said that you would anyway. And she should know that she was right."

The Togrutan General bowed his head, like the stoic figures he grew up with at the temple before moving down the ladder. Although the acknowledgement to most would seem like a minimal effort,Anakin knew how much respect could be conveyed in that simple gesture.

And it took a lot of respect to admit how wrong he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! Longer chapter this time and things are finally starting to look up! The Tii family continues to grow and our heroes let optimism back into their lives. If you're keen for more content, I set up a little Tumblr account where I post art from this story etc. so check that out right here: https://suryarolt.tumblr.com
> 
> I love reading your comments, it's something I look forward to every week so thank you!


	21. Family & Flesh

Even as red dust snowed on her from the roof of the bunker, Ahsoka Tano continued to silently clean her weapons.

The immediate habit struck her as ironic after how she'd left things upstairs. Getting sent to her room by her Master throwing a temper tantrum wasn't how she wanted the day to pan out. It wasn't outright stated but the huffy silence following his outburst had left her with few other options than to leave.

She gruffly cranked up the intensity of the laser.

After all this time, after everything they'd been through, she deserved a touch more respect than being yelled at for doing exactly what he would've done in her position! Anakin hated playing politics as much as she did and Obi Wan's disapproval had never stopped him before - even when she agreed that it probably should've. Of all the times to follow the rules, it had to be when these people needed them most. When _her_ people needed them. Neither Anakin nor Obi Wan trusted her judgement, just like she was starting out fresh all over again…

A nagging maturity overrode her doubts as a recent yet distant memory surfaced.

_"_ _That says more about me than it does about you…"_

Ahsoka sighed, letting the lightsaber settle in her cradled hands.

"The least he could do is be less of a baby about it…" she softly muttered.

The bunker latch rumbled at her words and cracked open. She stood upright, alert and dusty.

"Calling him an infant doesn't garner much faith, young one."

The Shilli General from the previous night bowed his head to her. Instead of golden plate armour, he wore layers of red and orange tunic. Angular slits had been cut into the sleeves, showing off the vibrant red skin underneath. "General Rhok," he said as a quick reminder.

"General, I - " her words were breathless. "I'm sorry - "

He held up his hand. "No need - Your Master wanted you to know that you were right."

Ahsoka hesitated before her smile broadened. "You'll help us?"

He nodded, gesturing to the table to sit down. She followed his lead and allowed for him to gather his words.

"We've received news of your men's whereabouts - they're being marched through the outer city and will soon reach the outlying villages."

The zap of adrenaline made Ahsoka's chest feel like it suddenly homed a million bubbles.

"If we know where's they'll be next, we could set up an ambush! Freeing Rex and the others, we'd stand a better chance at destroying the jammer and taking back the city."

"That is still a mighty task for you and your troops alone,"

Ahsoka shook her head, her arms crossed in the midst of her brainstorming.

"We'll make it work. You and your people have already sacrificed so much for The Republic, we can't allow you to risk much more without the favour returned."

Her claim made the General look back to the teenager with a newfound admiration. He knew it was pointless arguing with Kohma but he often forgot that most of the time, it was because she was right about these things. This Jedi Padawan was one of those things she must've known.

"You're compassion serves you well young one… but there is one thing I have to know," General Rhok said, slow and measured as he stared through her softened blue eyes. Ahsoka frowned, quelling her excitement to respectfully keep her patience once again.

"… You'd fight like this for any people, wouldn't you? Not just ours, not just Shilli."

Ahsoka sat back, a reflective sigh curling through her body. Her smile was taut and tired.

"Yes, I would… But that doesn't make seeing them like this any easier."

"I'm not surprised - they used to be your home," he chuckled softly, staring up at the bottom of the floorboards where he had left the two Jedi Masters. "From what I can gather, it isn't anymore."

She looked down to inspect the cracks in the table, guilt creeping up her throat. She tightened her lips, knowing that any reassurances she gave him would be lies and that was the last thing she wanted to do.

"But it is your home and they need my help. That's what matters to me," she said lifting her chin up again to face him. "Because I'm a Jedi."

After a moment, the General closed his eyes. A single quiet tear slid down his cheek. In his catharsis, Ahsoka caught ripples of the force carrying his thoughts. _I understand, Cousin… I see you now…_ Although she didn't think of Shilli as her home, these people saw her as apart of theirs. The familiar tragedy her presence brought to them was something she would never truly understand. But she refused to write it off. She meant something to them. And although it would never be her home in the same way it was theirs, she couldn't ignore how proud she was to call them _her_ people.

He sniffed, wiping his nose with a calloused hand and huffing out some of the simmering tension in his chest. Surprisingly, General Rhok stood up from the table, baring for her a toothy and teary smile.

"Well then, I'd be honoured to serve alongside a Jedi like you."


	22. Farewell To Safety

"Do all Shilli citizens use the tunnels or just the military?"

Obi Wan's question came from a place of caution rather than curiosity as General Rhok trudged on, leading them through the long red grasses dappled by spindly shadows. His help in navigating the village was invaluable if not a bit out of the blue. Still, the Jedi Master's guard had to be impervious. Especially since the two idiots behind him had yet to reconcile their little tiff at Kohma's. The tense bouts of small talk interspersed with the silence of snapping tree branches and scuffing dirt was far more excruciating than any interrogation Obi Wan could recall being subjected to.

"No. Hundreds of years ago, members of the Royal Court used to use the tunnels as a way to visit outlying villages without risking ambush from restless civilians," The General responded, forging ahead. Their new ponchos blended perfectly with the surrounding colour of the shrubbery. "Of course, there's been little need of them in recent years as our focus has been directed at external threats…"

"Yeah, no kidding," Anakin scoffed, quickly scanning behind them for any tails.

"Nobody followed us," Ahsoka assured him.

He sighed in response, refusing to look her way. "We can't be too careful." The awkward silence was quickly followed by Anakin rushing ahead to grill General Rhok about the details in their collaborated plan, insisting the need for better disguises.

The numerous skeptical looks they received when walking through the village was sign enough that even with their hoods, Anakin and Obi Wan stood out like Gundarks in a diner. It was clear that attempting to do it again in the next village for the ambush would go poorly.

Leaving the village had been difficult for them in more ways than one.

All of them had underestimated Kohma's influence. After discussing plans at the hut, General Rhok stepped outside to contact a few "recruits" to sneak a ship into the village and meet them at the rendezvous point outside the tunnel's entrance. Obi Wan was unsure if he'd be able to wrangle any of the soldiers from the night before but the general had earned his trust enough to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Kohma approached the three of them from the kitchen. Her body gently shook. Her eyes wide and shiny, staring down at the bundle of cloth in her hands.

" _To keep you safe on your journey's..."_

She handed them their ponchos with the utmost reverence. She started at Ahsoka, insisting on caping each one of them individually. " _My child, you have done us all a great service. Take these words as a gift. Your resolve is your greatest asset. Should you forget where that strength comes from, look within to see without."_

Ahsoka pondered on this but nodded all the same, gripping Kohma's hands before the woman swamped her in a hug.

" _Thank you, Aunty,_ " she replied, squeezing her eyes shut and leaning into the embrace.

The elder untangled herself from Ahsoka and shuffled over to the oldest Jedi present.

Obi Wan bowed his head, allowing the woman to swish the poncho around his shoulders.

" _To you, Master Kenobi, I gift these words; the best path isn't always the right one._ " The chuckle lacing her voice gave way to a knowing smile as she locked eyes with him. " _Sometimes, the only way to see it, is from a certain point of view."_

He bowed his head before flinching as he was instantly crushed in yet another hug. He groaned, feeling his back crack. The woman's strength did not accurately reflect her age and he didn't need to force to know that Anakin and Ahsoka were enjoying his peril. But her presence felt...warm. Not just physically. He could feel her essence in the force radiating the same kind of energy he remembered from his old master; wise, youthful and light. From deep within him, the young padawan he once was basked in the feeling for a final time.

" _Your kindness has been a blessing, Ms Tii. We won't soon forget it_."

She waddled back and moved onto the last in line and arguably, her greatest challenge of the trio; Anakin.

Kohma outstretched the material and lifted her arms as vertically inclined as her body would allow. Noticing her struggle, Anakin quickly bent down onto one knee, making the whole thing even more ceremonial.

She draped it over him, holding his shoulders, her head tilted forward. The softness in her expression intrigued Obi Wan. In it, he recognised their shared melancholy. When she spoke, her voice was delicate. " _You have great power, Master Skywalker and you use it to better the lives of those around you. Use your compassion with the same abundance, even for those you consider your enemies..."_

For her final hug, she cradled his head into her shoulder as his arm braced her back. Obi Wan picked up a low muttering as she whispered something into his ear. He could feel Ahsoka lean in a little closer. An inkling of a frown crossed her face. Anakin pulled away, staring into Kohma's eyes like a lost little kid, causing a pang of concern to stir within the Jedi Master. In response, she gifted him a smile as genuine as he had ever seen. Obi Wan felt his presence in the force as a matte of aching emotions.

The moment was broken as General Rhok paced through the door. " _My contact will meet us with a ship. But we must leave now."_

Ahsoka looked to Obi Wan and he nodded at her. The two then turned back to face Anakin and Kohma.

" _Now, now,_ " she sniffed, brushing up Anakin's poncho and letting him stand again. " _You three had best be on your way._ "

Even trekking through the forest, the event stuck with him. Her full tears and vigorous well wishes had caught him off guard and he realised how her attachment to them had grown within such a short span of time.

Of course, as a Jedi, attachment was frowned upon. But she felt so familiar to him, like how he remembered Master Yoda as a youngling. He'd always been able to tell the difference between non-attachment within the order and how others experienced attachment outside of it. As soon as Kohma had entered the fray, his point of reference became skewed.

The mild crisis he was in the midst of wasn't helped by his relationship to the attachment champion, Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka's relentless questioning of their roles as Jedi. He rubbed his temples, already exhausted by his own brain.

"Are you alright, Master?" Without even realising it, Ahsoka had sidled up beside him.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just thinking," he replied, unprepared for Ahsoka's input in his internal debate.

She brushed a red and gold littered tree branch out the way, as she chuffed.

"About Anakin?" She laughed. Obi Wan glanced down at her bemusedly. "You've got a tell. Holding your head like that means you've either got a headache or that Anakin did something stupid."

A proud chuckle arose from him at her developing wit. She'd become far more observant than he gave her credit for.

"Well this time, it's not just Anakin."

"Kohma?" She supplied. He nodded, easing into the conversation a bit more. "I appreciated what she said. Her and the General."

"You two chatted for a while down there. And here I thought that was my specialty," he quipped back.

"Trust me it still is," she said. "We just... talked about home."

Obi Wan winced, the topic of attachment refreshing his previous dilemma. Not only that, but the Jedi Master noticed the sting of rejection that perhaps the young Padawan may have wanted to stay on the planet rather than return with them to the temple.

Sensing this, she nudged his arm to ground him. "The Order is my home. Kohma knew that too."

The sting immediately vanished and Obi Wan had to chide himself for the flurry of relief coursing through him. In the last few days, his mind had become far too cluttered, making it difficult to compose himself. He could sense Ahsoka's own thoughts become clouded.

"You heard what she said to Anakin?" He assumed.

"Just a bit of it." She lowered her voice, staring up ahead at the backs of their two other companions. Suddenly her voice was far younger than he was accustomed to. "But it didn't make much sense."

Obi Wan inched closer as a sign of trust as well as an eagerness to hear Kohma's last words wisdom to them. Several hesitant breaths passed between them.

"She said 'beware your heart'," Ahsoka said, hushed and looking to him worriedly. "But I don't get it. Isn't that what _he_ said to him back on..."

The revelation rippled around Obi Wan Kenobi. Mortis. The Father... How did Kohma know? Or was it just a coincidence?

The two Jedi barely had time to discuss the troubling information as they heard the snap hiss of Anakin igniting his light sabre. In an instant, Obi Wan vaulted over the remaining shrubs, an aggressive rustling of tall grass at his side as Ahsoka instinctively did the same. Ahead of them, a small clearing came into view. He could see the hint of blue light. His own lightsaber was un-ignited but ready in his hand. Obi Wan shouted at his former student.

"Anakin! What's -"

Ahsoka and Obi-Wan burst into the clearing, suddenly pumping the brakes as they saw the scene ahead of them.

"Well geez, we didn't _have_ to come back all this way, y'know?"

Anakin lowered his sabre loosely at his side as they registered the two individuals in front of them, standing next to a starship covered in brightly coloured leaves. Obi Wan immediately recognised the human woman Vance, detangling a mess of leafy branches. Although their meeting had been brief, her no-nonsense attitude whilst leading them through the palace tunnels was hard to forget. A Togrutan man a little younger than Anakin stood in front of his sabre, hands raised but seemingly more annoyed than afraid. Anakin dared to speak.

" _Haki_?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters this week! Things are finally moving again and new plot points are on the horizon. Thanks for following this story and as always, I absolutely love reading your comments, it consistently makes my week (and also helps me write!)


	23. New Old Friends

“Oh so _now_ you remember us?" Haki snarked, lowering his hands in the same fashion that Anakin had lowered his weapon.

_Oh great,_ Anakin thought. _First my Padawan hates me and now I gotta deal with this piece of bantha fodder again._ Had he still been a Padawan, he would've let rip a string of huttese curses. The Great Jedi General had had enough of snarky Togruta teens judging him for his every action.

"You jumped out of nowhere, you could've been anyone!" Anakin huffed, back on the offensive as Rhok strolled up to greet Vance.

He saw Obi Wan and Ahsoka exchange a sigh, expelling the copious amounts of adrenaline coursing through their systems. It was probably a good sign that they were so on edge. If they stayed alert, they stayed alive and Anakin Skywalker refused to let them slack off.

"Ah, finally. The sensible ones," Vance called over as soon as she spotted his friends. Haki tried to contain fits of laughter as the fumes rolled off of him.

Obi Wan approached with more caution than his counterpart had obviously done. Anakin bristled as Ahsoka followed to stand next to his old master rather than himself. Apart of him accepted it was his own fault, after attempting to use General Rhok as their mediator. Apparently, apologising through someone else wasn't the same as doing it yourself. Adding to the fact that the words "I'm sorry" hadn't played a role in the interactions since leaving Kohma's probably didn't help his case. Although, after leaving Kohma's he was occupied thinking about other things entirely.

"Vance. What a welcome surprise," Obi Wan continued, hands clasped behind his back, embodying the quintessential Jedi master that he was.

She cocked an eyebrow at him, folding her arms and unimpressed. "Yes, we didn't expect to be back here so soon either."

Ahsoka leaned forward, finding her place within the conversation. "How did you manage to get back here so soon after leaving for Numia?"

Anakin's annoyance swirled around him but he caught the briefest feeling of Haki stiffening at the question. Before he could assume the worst, Vance cleared it up.

"We didn't even take off last night. I was too tired and I wouldn't trust him to pilot a go cart," she said, tilting her head in Haki's direction. This time, it was Anakin's turn to lap up the young man's annoyance.

"By the time it was dawn, the Seperatist forces were too organised for us to even try. General Rhok sent out the call on local emergency channels saying you guys had a plan to get off world. You have the plan, we have the ship. It's simple math."

His padawan smirked sceptically, having grown used to reading between the lines when it came to subtextual sentiment. "It wasn't at all because you wanted to help?" Her wry yet pointed remark was met with a nervous chuckle from Haki.

"Eh, that was just a bonus."

Vance sent him a stern look and he immediately shrunk, reminding him of a similar scathing look he used to receive from Obi Wan Kenobi whenever he used to talk out of turn during council meetings. Yes, that particular glare was far too familiar to him.

"So, whenever you three are ready, we can get going," Vance hustled along, gesturing to the ship.

Obi Wan turned to Anakin, the two sensing the intense atmosphere around their reunited companions. "I assume General Rhok didn't tell you the actual plan then?" Anakin said, folding his arms.

Vance's breath hitched in her chest. It was subtle but being a Jedi, he could sense her agitatation to leave the planet. Perhaps, it was annoyance at not having left sooner. He often forgot that other beings were allowed to feel things in a different way to him; so bare, so open.

"For good reason! They wouldn't have come otherwise!" General Rhok called from the other side of the ship, marching back around to meet with them.

Vance threw an even colder glare at Rhok and Anakin watched as the burly Togrutan bore the full weight of it, doubling his respect for the Shilli General.

"Am I wrong?" He asked, a hint of Kohma's trademark mischief bleeding through his tone.

Vance clenched her jaw. Haki started tapping his fingers against his thigh. "No, I suppose not," she conceded. "So what exactly is the plan?"

Obi Wan stood forward. Although it had been Anakin and Rhok's idea, Obi Wan's people skills were sorely needed in their current situation. Anakin refrained from petty grumbles as his master cleared his throat.

"Currently, our troops are being marched through the outer villages. Anakin and I will to attempt to free them by ambushing them at the next one -"

"Most likely, General Grevious, will be close behind..." Anakin interjected. From his peripheral sense, he caught a flicker of amusement from Ahsoka through their bond. He let a spark of relief echo in response. Obi Wan, peeved at the interruption, continued on with twice the resolve.

"Ahsoka will stay with the ship for our escape. Should the mission be a success, we'll either meet you back here before sundown, or send up a green flare to pick us up from the second tunnel's entrance."

"Our communications have been too unreliable - I reckoned the old fashion way would work just as well, especially with Ahsoka as a look out." Anakin chimed in once again, pointing up into the tree tops. Rhok nodded, patting the collection of flares stuffed into his satchel. Vance's top lip tightened its hold on her bottom lip as her eyes bore into the ground.

Haki waltzed over to Obi Wan.

"And should you fail?" He inquired cautiously.

Obi Wan huffed, relaying the information as pragmatically as he had always done.

"You'll see a red flare. Then..."

"We leave the system and I send for back up..." Ahsoka spoke up, a certain determined grit to her voice.

Surprised, Anakin looked over at her, properly meeting her gaze for the first time since they'd left the hut. For as much of a compromise as it was, it had still taken a fair amount of convincing to get her on board with their plan. Perhaps the trek had given her some clarity on the matter, for which he was grateful for.

"But, we've gotta hope it doesn't come to that," she added.

"It won't," he said, finding the inner certainty that arose from being a Master.

The sharpened edge of doubt in her expression faded. She nodded.

Although she had found her independence, he knew that maintaining his composure helped to ease her concerns. It shocked him to admit how much he relished being that pillar of wisdom and knowledge for someone else. Prior to Ahsoka, all of his closest relationships were with people who were far more academic and traditionally "educated" than he was (although competing with a senator and the great Jedi negotiator had it difficulties in that regard.) Having her around, he got to be that person he had always looked up to and for as inappropriate as it was for a Jedi, he liked it.

"Well... it seems like we get out of here either way, so that's fine by us," Haki was slow to say, glancing back at Vance for confirmation.

She finally looked back to them, having made up her mind. "Alright. Haki and I will prep the ship. We'll see you before sundown to get out of here."

The two broke off from the group and headed for the ship. Vance's straight back and crisp greying hair perfectly contrasted the relaxed gait and vibrant colours of her young friend. When it was safe to resume, General Rhok gave them a stoic thumbs up at their conduct.

"You'll need these," he said, handing over two sets of flares to Obi Wan and Anakin. The Jedi took them, stuffing the small batons into their poncho pockets.

"I'll lead you through the tunnels to the next village. I believe General Skywalker has an idea for sneaking you in."

Obi Wan raised an eyebrow in mock concern as Anakin puffed out his chest, chuffed that his newfound scheming buddy had his back.

"Once we get there, you'll be on your own. I'll make sure to wait for you back here with Commander Tano," he continued. His Padawan brightened at the General acknowledging her rank and title.

Obi Wan stroked his beard. "Good. Our friends seem a little too eager to get going."

Anakin stepped forward, his voice lowered. "Eager?" He clarified, concerned about the implication.

"These people weren't even supposed to be down here and I'm fairly sure this is their first experience dealing with a planetary invasion," General Rhok assured them. "I'm not surprised that they're worried. But just in case they try to run, I'll be here to talk them down."

"Thanks General," Ahsoka beamed up at him and the togrutan man seemed to swell with pride under her gaze. It was a funny dynamic to witness, but Anakin could understand it to an extent. A warmth emanated from them and he could do little else but observe.

"Well," Obi Wan broke the moment, being the only one willing to state the obvious. "If there's nothing more to discuss, we best get going."

Anakin had almost forgotten that this plan involved yet another farewell. His last one with Kohma had already filtered him into a state of equal parts denial and confusion about her advice. Of course he hadn't been thinking about his next goodbye so soon after the revelations she had imparted onto him. But the mission came first and if Anakin Skywalker was good at anything, it was stuffing down his emotions to confront them in a burst of angst at a later date.

Obi Wan bowed to Ahsoka. "May the force be with you," he said, starting towards the tunnel, lead by General Rhok. Anakin unconsciously turned to follow them, unsure what he could say to Ahsoka that wouldn't sound somber or stale. Even with his back turned, he sensed her deflate and begin towards the tree line to ready her post.

Strangely, he didn't feel Obi Wan nagging him to do something this time. In fact, he felt a voice from deep within himself rise up and address him with the fondest chiding he had ever heard.

_Ani_...

Whether it was his continence or a trick of the force, he could tell it was Padme's voice. It was the part of him that listened and kept him honest. It was the part of him that loved without the burden of the Code. It was the part of him that he held close by when he held Padmé in his arms. And right now, it was the part of him telling him to say something, you idiot.

In a flurry of movement, Anakin gently caught his Padawan's arm. She halted her stride at the sudden contact and sat with it as she turned to face him again. The afternoon sun beat down on them, bleeding through the reds and yellows of the tree leaves. The warmth and the colours reminded him only of the good parts of where he grew up.

The young man spoke as softly as he could. "I'm sorry, Ahsoka. I promise, we'll talk about it later, okay?"

Her hesitation was brief but her voice was gentle in return. "Okay. See you soon, Skyguy."

The nickname called forth a mild smirk that softened out into a genuine smile.

"See you soon, Snips."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Exams are upon me and so I struggled to post a chapter this week and will most likely struggle to do so next week - luckily I’ve got this one in storage. So if you don’t hear from me, never fret, I’m just stress dancing on my assignments.


	24. Spring The Trap!

"Anakin, you can't be serious."

Obi Wan glared at the man he thought of as his closest friend and couldn't help but reconsider his options of whom else could fill that role. The afternoon sun had just started softening. In the tinged yellow light, Anakin Skywalker grinned as he adjusted the two branches poking out from his hair. He threw up his hood, his face now hidden from the world. The grin remained as General Rhok looked between Obi Wan and his " _disguised friend_ " with an amused enthusiasm.

"Come on, Master," he insisted. "It's not much, but it'll fool 'em for long enough to get into the village."

Anakin proceeded to do a spin and Obi Wan had to admit, from the back it definitely looked like a Togrutan silhouette. General Rhok chuckled, crossed arms and patting his lekku in what could only be the equivalent of Obi Wan stroking his beard.

"You'll have to keep your heads down," he added. "But I assume you won't be needing stealth for the way out."

The General offered him a forked branch held together with some bandages. Anakin stood back, proudly folding his arms across his chest.

After a huff, Obi Wan conceded. "Alright. I'll wear the tree."

He felt the distinct sense of achievement rippling through the force and he knew that Anakin was bathing in this small victory.

"West from the outskirts would be your best entry point - that's where most of the farmers are working. It'll be easier to move with the crowd at the end of the shift," General Rhok informed them. The force was thickly swirling around them, more so than usual in Anakin's company. Obi Wan could sense it nudging them back down the tunnel along with their Togrutan friend and the effect was off putting.

"Good luck, Master Jedi." With a final heavy nod, General Rhok melted into the shadows.

Shaking off the rest of his hesitation, Obi Wan stuffed the twigs into his hood, interrupting Anakin's wistful stare down the tunnel. He slapped on a smirk and lead the way, hastily throwing up his mental shields. Obi Wan hadn't seen his former apprentice this sentimental in a long while. That fact reinforced his wariness of the mission.

They trudged through the thickening forest in an agreed silence and naturally his mind wondered to Kohma's final words. _Beware your heart…_ The Father had warned them - had warned _him_. The Chosen One. The hormonally charged, reckless individual who's back was to him now.

The little boy he met on Tatooine.

It wasn't that he forgot about the prophecy. Knowing that the weight of the known universe was resting on the shoulders of the man he practically raised was hard to forget. Of course, it had been difficult to put out of his mind during the early days of their apprenticeship, so soon after Qui Gon's death. But after so many years, he'd stopped thinking so much about what he was rather than who he was.

His flaws shone through clearly. The boy had no impulse control. His political views were polarising at best. His charismatic overconfidence could only be eclipsed by his lack of emotional tact. Among his own men, there were solid bets placed on how he was breaking a particular Jedi rule with a certain senator and it was only made worse knowing that he'd never confided in him about this, nor about any of his other attachments. Not even come the death of his own mother…

He was emotional, reckless, confident, intelligent, powerful and compassionate to a fault. He had _heart_.

Despite it all, Obi Wan Kenobi had grown used to Anakin Skywalker simply being Anakin Skywalker.

Reminders that he also had to be " _the one who would bring balance to the force_ " was a concerning shock to the system. If he could describe their time on Mortis as anything, it was that. Between being confronted by etherial force wielders, the illusion of Qui Gon's ghost and Anakin and Ahsoka's dip towards the dark side, there was much from that time that he'd prefer to forget.

He wanted to tuck their experiences away as an anomaly. But Kohma's voice, her wisdom about the will of the force, unbiased by Jedi hangups… It reminded him too much of his former Master. Had Qui Gon lived to experience Mortis himself, he wouldn't have ignored it's warnings. He wouldn't have been pacified by the council's wishes. As the two Jedi slunk around farmland, Obi Wan had to restrain a sad smile when imagining how well his Master would've gotten on with The Father. He knew that Qui Gon would've done all the things he couldn't - the things he refused to. And that knowledge hurt more than anything.

"Are you good to go, or are you just gonna stand there burning holes into my back?" Obi Wan snapped back to the present as Anakin stopped in front of the clearing of workers dragging their crop bales into town. He hadn't turned around. Obi Wan re-centered himself. It was time for action - not thought.

"Whenever you are," he replied and the two crept into the outskirts of the crowd effortlessly.

The village was far bigger than Kohma's. Civilians bustled along the streets, marking the end of the day. It seemed like an ordinary scene had it not been for the Separatist shuttle parked outside of the west entrance archway. Anakin and Obi Wan stuck to the shadows behind huts and barns, listening for the footfalls of clanking metal. The sound was distant but ever present and Obi Wan could swear he heard the echoes of a wheezing cough.

"You were right, the good general is here," Obi Wan muttered, leaning against the cool stone walls. Anakin's hand rested on his hip, where his lightsaber hung.

"He wouldn't miss out on the fun," he snarked. "But from what I can sense, there can't be too many droids…"

Obi Wan focused once more to confirm his observations. From the sounds of their feet to the anxiety coming from the other villagers, he could guess there were at least two squads of droids.

"Separating Grevious from his reinforcements would be our best bet. Once we rearm the clones, it'll be easier to retreat," he supplied.

Anakin flashed him a sneaky grin.

"You just want a rematch," he said.

"I never said I had to be the distraction," Obi Wan replied matter of factly. "But if you insist, then I accept.."

The two nodded turning back to gauge the Main Street. Any ambush would have to come from the side alleys and they had to be careful not to let the clones get caught in the crossfire before they had a chance to fight back. However, with Grevious out of the picture, it was definitely possible.

"Alright. If catch them at the west corner, then you gotta drag Grevious east. How showy are you prepared to get?" Anakin asked.

Obi Wan huffed, readying himself. His head injury from the previous day had become a dull throb but it was manageable. Manageable enough for the likes of General Grevious anyway.

"That depends on your definition of _showy_ ," he quipped, quirking his eyebrow at the most over the top Jedi he knew.

"Eh, just do something I'd do and you'll be fine." His self awareness was a pleasant change. "Meet us back here and we can reinforce you on the way out."

Obi Wan tightened his jaw. Luring Grevious back to his companions didn't feel like the best strategy but he knew that it came from a place of concern.

"Sounds like a plan." Obi Wan rolled his shoulders back, grasping his lightsaber. Anakin got ready to skirt around the back. The swell of thoughts and mismatched puzzle pieces blended together watching him leave.

"Obi Wan?"

The young man turned back to face him this time. His voice was steady. Almost, for once, _mature_.

"May the force be with you."

The sentence was well worn by now but just as comforting to him as ever. Although the sincerity may have been forced, Obi Wan appreciated the reassurance all the same. He replied with the only thing that made sense to him.

"And with you, Anakin."

* * *

Even after trudging from village to village like cattle, half starved and most likely dehydrated, Torq couldn't help but feel grateful that he still had his shooting arm. The fact that he was _missing_ an arm was most definitely a downside but he had always been an optimist. It was the one thing the droids couldn't take away from him.

Torq felt Kix dragging his feet behind him, aware of his less than peak condition. The Captain and Commander brought up the rear, keeping a close eye on everything ahead of them - the number of droids, the weariness of their brothers, the position of the sun in the sky. Leading the way down the dusty road was Fives and a couple of the other more experienced troopers. He'd mistaken the peripheral scuttling of villagers for their Jedi Generals too many times that day. All of his brothers, including himself, revered the Jedi as powerful, loyal warriors. But with the looming figure of the Seperatist's Cyborg General at their heels, he couldn't shake the feeling that they'd been left to fend for themselves; A sore spot where his unending optimism had started to wane.

"Uh, sir? We've been marching for hours and there's still no sign of the Jedi," a brave B1 battle droid piped up next to him.

In an unusual display of calm, the General continued to march. "They are here."

"But sir, how do we know-" in a blinding slash, the droid was split in half. Torq flinched violently and Kix quickly pushed him along.

An incessant beeping arose from behind them and the General raised his wrist com.

"General Grevious - we have come into contact with a Jedi sir," a tinny voice blared out of the device.

A wave of adrenaline buzzed through him. Had they come back? Or had they been captured?

"Then what are you waiting for? Shoot and detain them!" He snarled, halting the group.

There was a wash of white noise before a response echoed back.

"Uhhh we tried that sir but were unsuccessful."

"What do you mean?" The raspiness crept back into his throat and Torq tried to muffle his excitement.

"Sir, you might want to look up," it whined.

The whole entourage of clones and droids spun around to look behind them. In the distance atop a two storey barn stood a figure in beige robes with a ruffle of ginger hair. He unfolded his arms, casually waving a battle droid head at them.

"He says he wants to 'negotiate' sir…" the com link buzzed.

The General buckled in what would've been a belly laugh but seemed to result in a loss of lung capacity.

"Of course he does." He snarled into the com link before raising his head to bark orders at the commando droids. "Stay alert and pull the prisoners back to the ship. Where there is Kenobi, Skywalker will surely follow."

With that, the General thundered off to greet "The Great Negotiator". Torq and the rest of the shinys quickly glanced at their superiors, ready for the signal to act. Commando droids begun to flank in closer, some leaping up to scale the rooftops. Captain Rex and Commander Cody continued their firm march to the west village entrance, much to his surprise. Wasn't General Kenobi's grand appearance supposed to be whatever their "cue" was?

As the wooden pillars to the outskirt of the village drew nearer, Torq's breathing quickened. They needed to do something now, or they'd be right back in a Separatist cell with no hope. As much as he tried to keep optimistic, his strength was fading with each step closer to the ship. As they begun to pass under the archway, several commando droids raised their arms to their head pieces.

"B1096, beware your-"

In a split second, four commando droids had been sliced and diced by a fantastic flash of blue. General Skywalker had dropped down from the archway, making quick work of cutting their chains whilst simultaneously deflecting blaster bolts. Fives leapt into action, jumping on the back of a commando droid and yanking its head off with the chain binding his wrists. Cody used his to whiplash the nearby pillar, knocking down three B1 battle droids, tucking and rolling to pick up their weapons and pass them to his brothers. Rex was beside Skywalker immediately, covering his flank and wielding two blasters, far more sizeable than his usual twin pistols. More droids continued to pour out of the nearby ship.

A droid reached up from the ground, aiming for a shot square on Kix's back. Torq desperately looked around amidst the chaos. He was too far away to reach him in time. Beside him, lay a droids arm. Without thinking, Torq kicked it up into his hand and harpooned it in the droid's direction, making the bolt careen into another B1. Kix spun around at the sound. Spotting the droid, he knocked the blaster out of its hands and stomped on its circuitry for good measure.

As the dust settled, he caught the General's eye. Having seen his display of thriftiness, he smirked and gave Torq a casual two fingered salute. It was only the moment afterward that Torq realised it was with his robotic hand and a wave of gratefulness coursed through him.

"Good to have you back General," Rex said, finally letting his exhaustion show.

"It's good to be back, Rex - seems like you boys have had it rough."

"More wear and tear than we're used to sir, but nothing we can't handle," the Captain replied, briefly looking over to Torq. 

Skywalker folded his arms, suddenly impatient. "Now we just gotta hope Obi Wan isn't too late -"

Before he could even finish his sentence, the General in question peaked out from behind a forest shrub. He seemed a bit tattered but overall intact. However his concerned expression was troubling.

"Late but already ahead of you, my old apprentice," he called out, beckoning them over. The troopers hurried along into the tree cover with Skywalker bringing up the rear, confused.

"Obi Wan, how did you-" he began.

"We fought, but Grevious stopped pursuing me and left the village. I don't know why…"

General Skywalker's face darkened. "We have to get back to the ship, now."

The steel in his voice was a far cry from his jovial liberation of his brothers moments before. He followed along with their pack through the thicket, tailing just behind their Generals. For the first time that day, he was not only optimistic, but he felt safe. And yet, for some reason, the Jedi's expression nagged away at him. If they weren't the ones in trouble, then who was?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clone Wars: Way of the Jedi is back and ready for some updates, twists and perhaps the occasional turn! Thank you all so much for the well wishes during my exams, it was really sweet - finally on holidays and ready to catch up on writing some chapters.


	25. The Jedi Choice

* * *

In the blazing sunset among the sea of orange and red leaves, Ahsoka Tano was perfectly camouflaged in the treetops.

Just as her Master had ordered, she sat perched in a branch as their diligent look out, ready and waiting for any sign of success… or otherwise. She could sense Haki and Vance puttering about the ship below. Although they were clearly nervous about the mission, their mechanical tinkering was a tick she was familiar with. Before or after most missions, she would find Anakin with R2D2 doing the exact same thing to his star fighter in whatever hanger was available. She wouldn't blame them for feeling on edge and didn't sense any harmful intentions to worry about.

General Rhok had yet to return and she could only hope that the journey through the tunnels was longer than they had anticipated. The extra time and mounting anxiety bubbled on the surface of her mind. Kohma's words to Anakin was stuck on repeat in her head. _Beware your heart…_ He had always been more emotionally driven than most other Jedi. Although they frowned upon it, more often than not, she admired him for it. His passion made him work harder to help people and his loyalty had earned him respect among the clones. It was something she didn't shy away from emulating.

But the more they had trained together, the more she saw cracks start to appear. She'd seen snippets of his wrath but she reasoned that most of the time, it was directed at those who deserved it. And yet, come the "death" of Obi Wan, she was unsure how far was too far. He'd been cold and distant during that time, and rarely did he open up to her about any of it. In hindsight, the council's inaction on the whole situation made sense. But in the midst of it, she had seriously struggled to keep herself, let alone Anakin, in check. She couldn't help but wonder, had she not been there running interference, if he would've accidentally gotten Obi Wan or himself killed. The thought sent a shiver down her spine and made her refocus on the horizon with doubled intensity.

"Padawan? Commander? Uhh, Ah…"

The sound of the boy's voice, Haki, popped up from beneath her.

"Ahsoka," she corrected.

After the snapping of a few branches and a couple of muttered curses, she ducked beneath the tree line to see Haki half way up, hanging in a twisted pile of limbs.

"Need some help?" She quipped dryly.

"It might be appreciated…" he said, attempting to remain composed but failing after misplacing his foot into thin air.

She shook her head and dragged him up onto the thicker branch just beside her. He settled down, a firm grasp on the wooden handholds beside him as he took in the bursting colours of the sky.

"So what's up? You need me for anything?" She asked.

"Nothing, Vance just told me to come and check on you," he said, looking away into the distance.

She chuckled to herself. From his interactions with Anakin, she could tell that the two weren't all that dissimilar. His pride definitely ran strong as did his loyalty, it seemed.

"Is she your boss or something?" Ahsoka asked, glad for the company to ease her mind.

"Nah, I'm just too scared to say no," he replied.

She managed to crack a smile. Not so much like her master for whom humbleness didn't come so easily.

"If you're as good at fighting as you are climbing, then that makes sense."

He swivelled on her, a slight pout of indignation on his face.

"If you must know, I sustained a head injury when I was younger. My coordination hasn't been the same since."

Ahsoka sighed, annoyed at her own lack of social tact. She mentally noted to spend more time around Obi Wan.

"I'm sorry, that must've been difficult. How old were you?"

He sat for a moment in silence, choosing whether or not to reveal his vulnerabilities.

"I was about 16 years old. It was around the same time Vance took me in," he said, distractedly playing with a couple of leaves in the trees.

Ahsoka did a double take. She had assumed he would've been around her age but she forgot how the war had changed her perception of maturity.

"Huh, same age as me then…" she said softly.

"Wait… how long have you been a Padawan for?" He asked slowly.

She answered as quickly as she could, powering through the question she'd been pestered with since she had arrived on Shilli.

"I was 14 when Master Skywalker begun my training."

He looked back to her and out of the corner of her vision, she registered his hanging jaw. She could feel him begin to tip out of the tree and nudged the force to stop him from falling.

"That's far too young for a Padawan Learner!" He waved his hands in front of him, processing the information. "Those jerks on the council, forcing younglings into war…" she caught him mumbling.

Her eyes narrowed in on him. He was dancing around a nugget of information. Her suspicion rose.

"How do you know that?" She asked carefully.

The eye contact had obviously worked as he broke away. Again he paused, the silence weighing down on them.

"Haki… Why do you dislike Jedi so much?"

He crushed the leaves he was playing with in his fist. His hesitant reply came out in sections.

"I … once had a friend who was a Jedi," he started, his voice low and fragile. "He died… a little after becoming a Padawan."

Ahsoka felt like the leaves in his hand, slowly being suffocated. Again, she had fallen into the trap of realising what the Jedi were to the rest of the Galaxy and she couldn't quite reconcile the opposing views she was given.

"Oh…" was all she managed to say. More silence followed but Ahsoka spoke up again, finding her ground within the conversation.

"Is that why you're helping us now?"

He tightened his grip. She pressed on, knowing what needed to be said.

"Thank you, Haki."

The breeze picked up, freeing the crushed bits of leaf from Haki's grasp. He lost his breath as he finally locked onto her gaze and for a split second the look in his eyes turned painful. She sensed a flood of emotion boil up within him. Before she could begin any sort of emotional analysis for what it meant, she was slammed by a warning from the force.

Instinctively, Ahsoka's eyes darted across the sky. She spun around, desperately searching for streaks of green or red. Neither greeted her sight. She stiffened. Haki straightened up beside her, following her line of sight. He cursed.

Smoke.

From the sanctuary of their former village, thick, black clouds of smoke poured into the sky, far more than Ahsoka had recalled seeing earlier that day. Listening intently, she could make out the ruckus of screams and blaster bolts.

"They're attacking the village," she whispered. "Kohma…"

Ahsoka dived back down the tree at break neck speed, leaving poor Haki stammering down after her. Her body flicked into overdrive, abolishing the calm she had felt only seconds ago.

"Could they have tracked us here from the palace somehow or maybe they decided to skip a village…" she rambled, racing up to meet with Vance.

The human woman rolled out from underneath the ship's engine, goggles cinching her frizzy hair in place. Ahsoka marched up to her.

"The wrong village is being attacked," she repeated, snatching a bundle of flares laying beside her and tucking them away into her poncho.

"What?" Vance asked, scrambling to her feet.

Haki had just made it down the tree after deciding to jump the rest of the way down.

"It's true, the entire village is under fire," he confirmed, striding over to Vance.

She shook her head, throwing her hands in the air. "This was supposed to be easy…" she huffed. "Well then, Jedi, I assume you're going to help them?"

Ahsoka halted her fussing about as a cold stab of realisation hit her. This was a choice. A choice all Jedi had to make. The many or the few. The village, or potentially all of Coruscant. The intel or the innocents.

She had agreed to Anakin and Obi Wan's compromise. They still had a chance at helping these people if the mission was successful. But this wasn't it. This was something else and now she owed them for their trust. And not just theirs, but the trust of the Council and the entire Grand Army of the Republic. Responsibility and circumstance had pushed her into this corner and not matter how she tried, there was no way around it.

"I-" she began, feeling the weight Haki and Vance's expectancy bore into her. "I can't…"

Her head became too heavy so she let it drop to her chest. Haki moved forward.

"What do you mean you can't, the village is right there! You're a Jedi, you can save them!" He protested.

She felt a bitterness well up inside of her. He may have befriended a Jedi but he still had no clue the burden it took to be one.

"Of course I _can_! But what if I don't get back in time? What if they return and I'm not here?" She snapped. "They wouldn't leave without me. In the end, we'd all end up stuck here or captured or _worse_!"

She felt herself on the verge of hysteria and breathed deeper to reign in her anger. They didn't deserve it. It wasn't their fault that they didn't understand.

"I'm a Jedi. My duty is to the Republic; to Coruscant." Her voice was quiet, repeating Anakin's words. "No matter how much I want to, I can't…"

"Even after General Rhok put his faith in you? That's _his_ village, the people who took you in and you're going to let it burn?" Vance accused, walking to stand over her. Ahsoka held her gaze. As soon as Vance spotted the defeat behind the Padawan's eyes, the human broke away, fuming.

Haki's chest evenly rose and fell and she could sense him relax. There was no more of the gumption he seemed to fall back onto in their prior conversation. He must've been at a loss for hoping for anything more from her or the Jedi. All their choices leading up to this point were meaningless. Connecting with General Rhok, fighting with Anakin & Obi Wan, discovering more about Kohma; all for nought now that she had lost her own agency. Protocol dug in its nails, leaving the three companions standing there as solemn as statues. All her strength vanished…

Her strength…

Her resolve…

A memory resurfaced.

_"_ _Your resolve is your greatest asset. Should you forget where that strength comes from, look within to see without,"_

Out of curiosity or better yet, desperation, Ahsoka suddenly became aware of her breathing. She let her feet sink into the ground and centred herself in the river of the force. Felt it bend within and around her. A rise of white noise rose in and out of her focus, what could've been the sounds of battle. The louder they became and the quieter she let her mind be, she started to make out whispering. Thousands of voices reverberating around her.

_"_ _Beware your heart…"_

_"_ _Yourself -"_

_"_ _And your friends…"_

She fell deeper within herself, sifting through all of them. Some were strings of sentences. Some almost animalistic.

Soon, a voice spoke from right in front of her, soothing and tangible.

" _The choice is yours to make, young one. Not the Council's, or the Republic's or the Sith or even us. Whatever path you feel is right, know that you are one with us and that we are with you."_

It was a man's voice. Deep, yet gentle and completely unfamiliar to her. But upon recognising it for the first time, it felt like she had heard these voices her whole life, guiding her and giving her comfort. The force rushed around her more fiercely. She not only sat in it. She was submerged, allowing the voices to wash over her; drowning in it.

" _It's time young one,_ " the voice echoed louder. " _The moment awaits…"_

In response, a bird cawed above the chorus and she felt it careen towards her, felt its wings beat and its talons dig into her skin.

Ahsoka gasped. She'd been standing there for hours. But from the look on Haki's face, it had been mere moments.

The choice lay ahead of her.

She looked back down the tunnel where she had farewelled Anakin and Obi Wan. From where General Rhok would soon come rushing back out.

The wind stilled, allowing her the room to breathe.

_The moment awaits... and I won't keep it waiting any longer._

Leading with her chest, Ahsoka marched towards the forest with the sharpest sense of clarity she had ever felt. Vance started yelling after her as she briskly jogged passed them. She barely heard her order Haki to follow her. Even as she slowed to let him catch up, every ounce of her being spurred her onward with no signs of faltering. A swift breeze of support pushed her along and Snips grinned. It was time to start listening.


	26. The Cyborg & The Deviant

The thought of ripping off all of the Jedi's limbs simultaneously was the only thing that kept General Greivous calm. Green eyes locked onto General Kenobi sitting perched on the roof of an archaic building. With each thundering step, his breath rose. His eagerness grew, inflated by the thought of presenting Kenobi's lightsaber to Count Dooku.

Either side of the main road, villagers cowered as he bolted by. He drank it in; their fearful reverence. The slightest grunt and more would squeal, snapping their windows shut. But they were just the vermin that inhabited this primitive world. He was here to catch scum of a higher caliber - and he was assured in exactly what game they would play to escape.

Grevious leapt onto the roof in one monstrous bound of his cybernetic legs. The building shook beneath him, trembling in his presence.

"Kenobi…" he growled

The human man sat atop a small scrap pile of droids. He admired the head of a B1 troop in his hands, as if having conversed with it up until his rude interruption. Finally looking up, the Jedi smirked. His organic insides roiled.

"Oh, General Grievous. What a pleasant surprise, you're right on time…"

He resisted the urge to split his arms and ignite his sabres. They were playing a game of patience. It was the only way to ensure he could capture all of them. They still didn't know where Skywalker was lurking about. This deception wasn't as one sided as he would let Kenobi believe.

"The Separatist alliance accepts your surrender, Jedi," he snarled, stalking around him.

"As gracious of an offer as that is, I must decline," he replied, dumping the droid's head back into the pile and moving to keep the distance. "However, the freedom of our troops and your own surrender are still viable options."

General Grevious couldn't help the sickened smile underneath his helmet. Though the Jedi was obviously killing time, their routine banter was always engaging enough. Especially when he won.

"Your petty games will not save you this time, General Kenobi. You are already beaten, you just don't know it," he hissed.

The Jedi's hesitation supplied him with immense joy. After a few more unsteady steps, he noticed him reach for his sabre.

"Perhaps. But defeat is a matter of perspective…" he muttered after a while. A sudden grin flashed across his face. "And from where I stand, that isn't the case."

A distant cacophony of blaster fire erupted from the village's west entrance. _Skywalker…_ he thought bitterly. He ignited two sabres and crashed them into him, unable to suppress his impatience anymore. Kenobi's sabre flashed blue. The impact exploded over the locked sabres. He could see the blue grit of the Jedi's eyes. Rage surged over him and he snapped his arms into four.

Kenobi leapt back, his defence impervious as he predicted every mechanically enhanced attack. Grevious snatched the remaining sabres from his belt and pushed him to the edge of the roof. Kenobi held firm. One of the only benefits of his organic body, was it's ability to produce adrenaline. A machine will only go as far as it was designed for - an organic has reserves fuelled by intense emotion. And Grevious was overflowing with it.

He smashed all four sabres from different directions into the Jedi - a reckless move leaving his body vulnerable with the potential to murder the intel. But it caught him off guard just enough for him to lose balance. With his legs, he clawed at the Jedi's shoulder, and bashed his sabre to the floor, holding him dangling from the building. Kenobi's shock was palpable and he laughed, drunk on it.

"Has your perspective changed now, Jedi scum!" He hissed, pressing down on his shoulder.

Kicking out, he gasped in pain. Causing pain was the closest Grevious got to feeling it himself anymore. The sweet agony filled him with nostalgia.

A grunt broke free from Kenobi as his desperation took hold. He fell limp and suddenly became dead weight in the Cyborg's hands. Using the newfound momentum, he swung down to the side of the wall, dragging Grevious with him. Soon as Grevious was in the air, Kenobi kicked off of the wall to reposition himself to fall on top of him. He summoned his sabre and Grevious could do nothing else but brace for both the fall and the attack.

The crash was the least deadly of the two. He rolled onto his side, Kenobi only scoring one of his limbs in the process. He scrambled into a defensive crouch, sabres still clutched in his hands. The Jedi jumped away. With one hand, he beckoned him closer before running around the corner.

Grevious roared and stood to his full height, charging after the pathetic, self aggrandising, _little…_

His com link blared at him, snapping his focus.

"What is it?" He growled into the wrist device.

"General Grievous," a warbled voice answered him, unlike any droid in his army. Immediately, he recognised it as his assailant. "My apologies for not reporting in earlier, sir."

"Phoenix 3, this had better be important or else you obviously consider that your life isn't," he snarled, reluctantly.

The buzz of static beeped before the response.

"I consider both important, General, as should you. The Jedi are working to free their clones but they left their Padawan at the village. I believe this leaves us with a more effective strategy for acquirement, sir."

He slowly eased his mind. Count Dooku had insisted this assailant was worth listening to, but the lack of fear in their tone annoyed him.

"Can't you just deal with the brat yourself?" He hissed.

A scoff blared through the com link.

"You may be able to detain a Jedi single handedly, but for the rest of us, that's a far more difficult a task," they responded, the warble over their voice breaking up. "Besides, should something happen to her, the other Jedi would sense it. Sure, it might give us a chance to capture her master, but he would not risk the safety of the clones and the other Jedi. The best situation would be to isolate both parties and then incapacitate the larger group before the Padawan. Should you leave now, I have a plan ready."

He hummed. Obviously, he had underestimated the intelligence of this organic. Reaching a decision, he turned back for his ship, giving up the alluring pursuit of Obi Wan Kenobi. This time, he would trust the wisdom of his Master.

His response came reluctantly. "What do you propose?"

* * *

Obi Wan ducked behind a corner in wait. He prided himself on his patience but even he was struggling to remain composed. General Grevious had been right on his tail. Had he turned and ran? Perhaps he accidentally scared off the great lumbering cyborg when he removed his arm. However, that was hardly a rare occurrence. He knew Grevious. He rejoiced in cruelty and that he respected Count Dooku more than anyone else in the Galaxy. He was a coward, but he wouldn't squander any opportunity to show off to his Master, especially now that Ventress was out of the picture.

The Jedi Knight stepped out from the shadows. From where he stood, he could see villagers beginning to come out of hiding, nervously scanning the area for the metal monster. It was nowhere in sight. A pit blossomed in his stomach and he immediately took off into the outskirts of the forest, racing back towards the west entrance. Something was wrong. They were missing a piece of the puzzle, he just had no idea what it could be.

They all needed to get off world as quickly as possible. He could feel the force itself stirring up and shifting, like the tide readying for a wave. Rational thought became sparse in his mind. He had to pull himself together before reaching Anakin. They needed to get back to the ship as quickly as physically possible and they all needed to get off world _now_.

There were no doubts in his head that Anakin had successfully freed the clones. If he was anything in situations like these, it was reliable. As he raced past the brush, he noted the lack of marching metal. _Good_ , he thought. _That's one less thing to worry about._

Rounding the outskirts, he spotted Anakin and his troops. He was immensely relieved to see Cody and Captain Rex at his side, both seemingly in one piece.

"Now we just gotta hope Obi Wan isn't too late -"

How he wished that was the only thing going wrong. He called them over, explaining the situation, all the while hearing the rush of blood to his head, speeding his thoughts along. _Beware his heart…_ The warnings pounded in his mind. _Train the boy_ ….

The cold expression Anakin wore as they rushed to the rendezvous point was a stark reminder of how easily his training could be sidelined.

How much he had yet to teach him. How much he had yet to learn himself.

It almost made him feel like a Padawan again.

He said the only thing he could think of that might reassure him.

"They'll be fine Anakin."

They reached the tunnel's entrance, flanked by several dozen clones. The air was still, frozen on the young man's breath. Looking dead into the cave, he replied.

"They have to be. I won't allow alternative."

The promise chilled the area as he snapped the flare off his belt and fired a blazing trail of green into the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooooh something's going down... As always, thanks for tagging along with me for this series, it's good fun.


	27. From The Eyes of Shilli

The ever thickening smoke clotted her nostrils and blocked the droids from their line of sight. The only inkling of the enemy's whereabouts, was the occasional flash of blaster fire zipping overhead. Her fellow Shilli soldiers manned wheelbarrows, flipping over carts as makeshift cover with their laser tipped spears peaking just over the top. A few farmers armed with pitch forks crouched beside them, shaking with each thunderous boom.

Their montrals enhanced the sound of the explosions ten fold. Some of the villagers were obviously suffering from the overwhelming noise. Her and her fellow soldiers were trained to withstand the sheer volume with protective gear. Some just dealt with the possibility of partial hearing loss.

Whatever their circumstance, they stood as a united front to save their village. No more pointless waiting for Republic reinforcements. No more thankless rescue missions for arrogant Jedi. She scrunched her nose at the memory of the briefing with them in the bunker. After everything Shilli had sacrificed to save them, let alone stay their ally, they had asked for more. Righteous anger fuelled her. Today, they fought for nobody but themselves. And they fought alone.

"Pull back! They're taking control of the ridge!"

A couple of soldiers stumbled out of the black clouds. They waved their hands, coughing and spluttering, desperate to reach cover.

"We won't stand a chance, full retrea-" the man was gunned down by blood red lasers before he spoke another word.

The clicks and creaks of machinery grew louder. Solid metal feet pounded the earth. The smoke billowed around the expressionless seperatist soldiers. Her commanding officer cursed before shouting, "Open fire!"

The guns behind her covered the front row of skinny stick droids with electric yellow blaster bolts. Her grip on her spear was iron. She watched as the droids fell with more replacing them, simply marching over the bodies of their fallen allies. The oncoming wave had reached her cover. With a splitting battle cry, she charged the nearest droids, twirling her spear in an arc of yellow light.

She knocked blasters out of mechanical hands, zapped their heads and watched as the droids collapsed in on themselves. One after the other, she held firm. One after the other, she knocked the droids on their backsides. And one after the other, they kept on coming.

Her breath was ragged, huffing out her energy reserves with each landed a hit. They wouldn't stop coming. There was no halt to recover felled droids. There was no reasoning, no bartering with them. These monsters were programmed with instructions to kill without a thought for themselves and without mercy.

They'd even turned her into a machine. She was so caught up in the fight, in the motions of defending the point that she had failed to notice her surroundings. Shilli soldiers either side of her lay motionless on the ground. The last remaining foot soldiers were a full 10 paces behind her. She was overextended. Out in the open. Alone.

Shock ripped through her with a blaster bolt. Her arm exploded in pain as she fell to the ground. Her headgear must've been ineffective as a piercing ringing encompassed the sound of her world. Smoke burned her eyes. That must've been the reason she was crying as the droid stared her dead in the eye and raised it's blaster.

She had expected her last sight to be of red laser.

Instead, green blazed in front of her.

The whipping green light danced around a girl. Through the smoke and tears, it looked like she had wings of green light. Suddenly, a pair of hands yanked her from under her arms, dragging her back to cover. Somehow, she was still gripping her spear. The tip of it dragged alongside her legs. She pulled it closer as whoever was carrying her, turned the corner.

The figure who had carried her to cover was a young Togrutan man with yellow skin and semi-formal garbs. His face was stern, almost conflicted. The crouched position he held indicated his intention to run back into the fray.

"Get the civilians and the injured to safety! The tunnels may still be protected but travel carefully. My friend tells me she should be able to help you deal with the rest," he said to her, looking back to the droid forces.

She followed his gaze, only now realising that the angelic figure who saved her was in fact the Togrutan Jedi. She ripped through the front line of droids, all their fire now solely focused on her. It was hard to tell what a droid was "feeling" but for the first time that battle, she could almost register their fear. Her own awe was doubled by the fact that as she fought, she was protecting the trail of soldiers behind her, helping to retrieve their fallen comrades. The Jedi would point to the ones in critical condition all the while redirecting blaster bolts to the droid army.

And suddenly, the Jedi was marching forwards.

The droids stepped back.

"Uh, re-retreat! Fall back!" a fearful B1 battle droid called back. A chorus of "roger roger" followed the order but the Jedi kept following up, leaping onto B2 battle droids and slicing through them with ease. A cheer erupted from all around her as the rest of the warriors of Shilli leapt over their covers to join the young commander in battle. They flanked her from either side, crying "For Shilli! For the Jedi!"

Her jaw was slack. Their power and grace she had dismissed from the previous night was presented in full. This was what it meant to fight alongside a Jedi. This was what the legends spoke of.

"Your friend is incredible..." she whispered.

The young man nodded solemnly. "I know."

He balled fists around the small weapon in his hands and she had enough time to wonder how close they actually were. "Now go. I've got it covered here."

She stumbled in retreat, falling into step with a village mother acting as a medic. She risked one last look back to the smoking village. The ridge just above it was beginning to catch fire and she could only hope that it didn't spread to the rest of the forest let alone, Kohma's hut.

But the image lingered of the young Togrutan man, standing still amongst the smoke, a pistol clasped tight in his hands and carrying a sombreness that might've chilled the flames.


	28. Converging Deceptions

His pace had been a consistent jog the entire trek back to the ship. Even without the Jedi's lightsabers to lead the way, his vision had quickly adjusted to the murky darkness of the tunnels. The breeze whistling passed him became warmer as he neared the tunnel's entrance. His steps felt heavier; his resolve, more focused. General Rhok of the Grand Shilli Army was ready to aid the young Jedi however he could and to ease the minds of their concerned companions.

Orange light greeted him as he broke through to open air. What he expected to see were two young Togrutans and a human woman waiting around. Instead, he found an empty clearing. Much to his relief, the ship was still there. _At least they haven't run off..._ he thought to himself. Circling around the back of the ship, he found the ramp and made his way inside.

The interior was far more cramped than the outside of the ship would've lead him to believe. It's pragmatic design left no room for flourishes of personality or decoration. There wasn't even a table. Simply a kitchenette, a cabin and a small refresher. There was still no sign of the others. A nagging pit begun forming in his gut. He casually noted it's presence as instinct. He continued to the cockpit with more caution. With each gentle step, the sound of murmuring grew louder.

"- warn me when you see it. I'll need to be ready to pick them up."

It was Vance. He had known the older human woman for just as long as the Jedi had. Her level, no nonsense tone was familiar to him. He recognised voices like that from his fellow warriors and army officers. But to hear that coming from a supposed diplomat set alarm bells off in his head. He inched closer, accidentally bashing his montrals against the roof of the doorway. A grunt escaped him.

"Hello? General Rhok, is that you?" He heard her call back.

 _Can't deny it now..._ he inwardly sighed. His hand slid to the compact spear in his pocket as he stepped inside. Vance sat at the controls, googles left hanging around her neck like she had just tinkered with the engine. In the copilot seat was a little astromech droid with purple and red markings. It produced a dopey beep that he failed to decipher.

"Yes, it's me. Where's Commander Tano and the boy?" He asked sternly.

Vance sighed, exchanging a sympathetic glance with her droid.

"So you didn't see the smoke then, huh?" She said.

Rhok felt the pit balloon into a void.

"What smoke?" He pushed.

"The Padawan went back to the village with Haki. It's under attack..."

The news felt like a blaster bolt to the chest. The colourful, beaming faces of his friends and family flashed before his eyes. Kohma's was among them, beaming the brightest with a wickedly cheeky grin. His silence spoke volumes and his instinct to turn around and sprint back to his home was overwhelming. But something else gnawed at his very bones.

"Vance, who were you talking to..."

Her face was impervious as she quickly responded with "Haki, of course. If they see a flare, I'll need to be ready to pick up both groups."

For any other soldier, that answer would've been considered concise and logical. But it did nothing to settle General Rhok's nerves. If she was telling the truth that Haki and Ahsoka went to save the village, then how did the Seperatists know which village to target? And if she was lying, she was hiding something more dangerous anyway.

"I don't believe you." His voice was low and rumbled in his chest. His thumb hovered over the extension release on his spear.

Vance looked up at him, her face contorting into disbelief and shock. As she stammered for a reply, the coms blared again.

"Green light. Detainment is a go," blurted the garbled voice of a commando droid.

A split second of silence followed before he caught her mutter something.

"Kriff."

His spear was ready. In one fluid motion, he crashed it down on top of her. But Vance was surprisingly agile. With both hands she grabbed the back of the chair and kicked out her legs over the top of it. Her feet landed with a thud into his chest and he stumbled back, winded, into the corridor.

"R9S5 power up the engines and get us to that drop site!" She shouted, dodging to the side of an electrified jab. The droid whined back groggily. Rhok took the moment to push forward, trying to knock the tin can out of place.

Vance quickly intercepted him, grabbing the shaft of the spear with one hand and moving to punch his face with the other. Rhok ducked underneath it. As her fist flew over his shoulder, he stood up, suddenly propelling her into the ceiling. She grunted from the impact.

"NOW R9!" She roared, using her newfound vantage point to head butt General Rhok's lekku. Instant pain rushed down his spine and he dropped her with a sudden wave of nausea. The two of them fell back into the cramped living space and the cockpit doors hissed shut. The ramp was still hanging wide open and the engines growled from the effort of lifting the ship off of the ground.

"You traitor, this is our home!" General Rhok cried, backing Vance up into the kitchenette. Realising the threat, she jumped to the side and onto the little table top, twirling around to yank both ends of the spear around his neck.

"This is _your_ home. And you would let it rot under the Republic's corruption!" She spat back.

He bellowed in response, throwing her over his shoulders. Vance careened into the floor, landing flat on her back. She gasped and twitched on the ground. More and more air flew into the ship as it climbed higher off the ground.

He held her still with the electrified tip of the spear pointed at her throat.

"Order your droid to stand down!" He commanded.

She heaved, looking between him and the weapon aimed at her throat. Her arms raised in a partial surrender, palms flat facing up at him.

"R9..." she called out weakly. "...bank right."

The ship lurched sideways toward the open ramp. Vance bashed aside General Rhok's spear as he begun to lose his balance. Both of them tumbled to the edge of the ramp. They were now hovering over the forest. A sea of red leaves raged below.

As General Rhok rolled towards the ramp, he made a grab for Vance's feet. They grappled, clawing and biting, using whatever they had to put the other out of commission.

Feeling both of them flying out the door, Vance latched onto the ramp's edge, leaving Rhok dangling above the forest by nothing but her bootstrap.

"Haki trusts you! You'll lead that boy to ruin!" He shouted back, desperate to get through to her however he could.

The wind thrashed them about and he could barley see her eyes underneath her greying frizzy hair. She kicked out at him. 

"The Jedi already did that, you fool!" She screeched. His partial shock left her room for one more kick as she threw off the boot he was clasping onto.

His grip was lost. General Rhok felt nothing but air.

Time slowed. Everything snapped into detail. He caught her eyes at last. The steel behind them, the grit, the ever present determination was still so familiar and yet so twisted. The rush of air did nothing to dampen those last sounds. Before the snapping of branches and the cracking of bones, he heard Vance speak for a final time.

" _I won't let that happen to him again..._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are moving now! Thank you so much for sticking with me, and it's alright - we'll get back to our golden trio POVs in the chapters next week. We just gotta lay some ground work this week. As always, thanks for your lovely comments, reading them is always a highlight of my week.


	29. The Fire & The Fallen Part 1

The clones had permitted Jedi General Anakin Skywalker a wide berth around the perimeter of the clearing. His hefty breaths and determined pacing was something no clone was brave enough to interrupt. Even Obi Wan kept his distance.

Anakin had no mind for any of it. The force thrashed around him wildly, trying to warn him of something. He assumed it had to be Ahsoka. But the more he focused on her presence, the blurrier his vision became.

"Where are they..." he muttered

The picture was almost whole, all the pieces were there but they refused to fit together. He wanted to throw up his hands, kick the dust, shout at the sky to beckon the ship closer. Instead, he turned on his heel for another bout of pacing.

The roaring of the shuttle's engine was the only thing that broke him out of it. His nerves went haywire, immediately sensing that his Padawan wasn't on board. The ship came into view, hovering above the tree line. A few clones scattered back as it settled down in front of the tunnel's entrance. Anakin's hand was already to his lightsaber. Instinctively, his men followed suite, readying their weapons alongside their General. The ramp descended and Vance walked down to them. Her clothes were dishevelled and her face bore fresh red marks, giving new meaning to the phrase "worse for wear". The only adjustments she had made were a pair of flight gloves she was pulling on. She had barely even made it to the ground before Anakin blocked her path. He yanked her up by her collar. Cold blues eyes met hers.

"Anakin, stop - " Obi Wan was at his heels in an instant, reaching for his arm.

He shrugged him off easily, his focus unbroken on the only passenger of the shuttle.

"Where are the other two?" He snapped. Up close, her expression was steely but she couldn't hide from him her racing heartbeat of the shimmer of fear he felt reflected in the force.

"Master Skywalker, if you could put me down, I'll explain-"

"Where are they?" He barked, tightening his grip.

"The village," She flinched. Her breath quickened. "Haki and your Padawan went back to the village, it's under attack."

His grip softened and Obi Wan moved in to split them apart. She was telling the truth. He could feel it. But the force seemed to be giving him some kind of whiplash in her presence.

"Why didn't you stop them?" He accused. Clone troopers drew nearer to the conversation, disturbed by the absence of a certain Togrutan commander.

"Do you think I could've stopped them once they'd made up their minds?" She scoffed, readjusting her gloves.

Obi Wan nodded, an acknowledgement of the all too familiar Skywalker inspired stubbornness. Her hair was extra fluffed up and the red marks were obviously swelling into bruises. From the looks of it, she had in fact tried to stop them. Perhaps her gloves covered up similar injuries on her hands.

"She's right Anakin. I trust Ahsoka as much as you do, but we both know that she wouldn't be willing to stand by in this situation."

Anakin's glare hadn't yet wavered from Vance. But as the troopers behind him shifted uncomfortably, he gave the signal to start boarding the ship.

"Fine. Take us to them. I don't know about Haki, but Ahsoka will listen to me," Anakin said, leaving to follow the rest of them into the shuttle.

"Haki will be fine - " he could hear Vance's voice catch in her throat. In his periphery, Anakin saw what had caught her off guard. A trail of vibrant red smoke, shooting straight up into the dusk sky. Anakin furrowed his brow. It didn't feel like a call for help, nor was it anywhere near the village. It was almost a heads up. Quickly striding passed them onto the ship, Vance muttered. "That's them, we must hurry."

A wake of the force crashed down around them. Obi Wan turned to him, finally on the same wavelength as his former apprentice. There it was - the blatant lie. His nerve snapped. He spun on her, lightsaber mid-ignited.

" _You_ -"

Her gloved hand clapped Anakin on the shoulder and an electric current sprang through him, blitzing through his veins. He was vaguely aware of Obi Wan crying out beside him. Anakin grit his teeth, pushing the sabre closer to her throat. Vance gripped their shoulders tighter, sending a blast of power causing his hand to short circuit. The hilt fell out of his limp hand before he heard the thud of his own body collapsing to the ground.

A cacophony of footsteps pattered from the ship. In his semi conscious state, the noise of cocked blasters and aggressive shouts was distant and foggy. Somehow, he could make out Rex at the forefront with a muffled string of commands. The only clear voice was the traitorous rat he was lying beside. His fingers flexed and contracted, edging his body onward to pulverise her.

"Sorry about this R9..." she hissed before thrusting her hands down onto the edge of the ramp; the metal ramp of the metal ship. As if purpose built for it, the current blasted through the shuttle, electrifying each clone trooper on board. His men collapsed to the floor of the ship.

Anakin Skywalker pushed his hand into the dust. Pushed his body to move. He registered a new pair of boots with perfectly insulated rubber soles they'd failed to notice. _How had they not sensed her deception?_ The perseverance he'd mustered up was all for naught as said boots firmly greeted the left side of his temple. The world started ringing madly. Out of desperation, Anakin projected out his last conscious thoughts.

_Get out of here, Snips_

* * *

Much to his surprise, his eyes cracked open. He hadn't expected death to feel this painful so by that line of logic, he could only presume that he was still alive. Flecks of light crowded his vision and he tried to move. His torso and legs flared up in an unpleasant warning. _Moving is a bad idea. Got it._

General Rhok slowly settled himself back down on his new bed of leaves and pointy branches. Moving was a still not on the cards. But doing nothing wasn't an option he could accept either. He needed to do something to warn the Jedi somehow. But with their coms and his legs out of order, there wasn't much he could do. He attempted to move his arms.

They were bruised and aching but still operational. He clutched a boot in his right one. _Great_ , he thought. _I'll just walk on my hands_. He rested them on his stomach and straight away felt for his pockets. Inside, was a set of flares.

He chuckled, gazing back up at the last few moments of sunlight.

"You'd better be watching, Jedi," he murmured as he aimed it skyward and let rip a trail of red smoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late post with only one chapter - it's been a big ol' week. Still I hope this one gets you hyped, things are coming together... or falling apart, depending on your point of view.


	30. The Fire and The Fallen Part 2

_Even under the weight of the cursed night, the flames pulsed a brilliant yellow as it ate the village whole._

_Amongst the panic was a boy. He had made the choice to stay._

_Still, regrets echoed in his head._

_“_ **_You have promise, young one. That much is obvious from your level of control. But you’re weak. Do not fight this battle._ ** _”_

_Tears and sweat made greasy streaks down his face. He grunted, running from the voice._

_A wall of smoke blocked his entry into the village._

_The fire charred his skin from yellow to red._

_He stumbled ahead._

_“Mother! Father!” He cried, coughing and spluttering on the rain of embers._

_His pleas were drowned in the wades of fear and agony erupting around him. The pain of strangers drowned out his own, washing out the noise of the roaring flames._

_“_ **_But know that strength is learnt. Stick by my side and together, we’ll see that you grow stronger. So this does not happen again._ ** _”_

_The boy choked down an ashy sob._

_“Master,” he whispered hoarsely. “Why…”_

_As the words screamed louder in his head, images begun to accompany them. The Jedi Knight had sat dutifully by his side, watching the chaos unfold below them; serene, as if he were viewing a sunset. Upon sensing him rouse, he had led the boy down the ship’s ramp for a full view of the village he had just come to know as his home. His Master folded his arms. Then crossed the remaining two behind his back._

_“_ **_Let go of everything you fear to lose, young one. Free yourself. Only then, will you find true strength in the force_ ** _.”_

_A loud snap from behind startled him back to the present. A flaming support beam cracked, swinging out to catch the boy in the head. He collapsed to his knees, the dirt soft and warm._

_Everything he had been told was a lie. Everything he had hoped for was burning._

_And everything he had in him to keep fighting, was gone…_

_Right up until he caught a hazy glimpse of a three pronged ship leaving the atmosphere._

_  
Something resurfaced within him. A feral scream ripped through his throat as his blood boiled over. The fire split and shimmered around him, the building quaking under his hatred._

_“_ **_MASTER!_ ** _”_

* * *

“Haki - are you doing alright?”

Her Togrutan companion flinched as she went to tap his shoulder. When she was pushing back the droid forces beyond the village entrance, he had been the one to usher the villagers to safety. She imagined that for someone unused to war, it would be difficult to process everything.

“I’m fine. We need to get to that ridge.” He shook her off, pointing towards the small hut on the edge of the forest. “I haven’t seen Kohma yet, she may still be up there.”

Ahsoka nodded. His tone echoed that of her Master, where the phrase “I’m fine” bears a different meaning to its intended usage. But she failed to sense apprehensive feelings from him of any kind. Perhaps that tone was just his default. Whatever it was, her focus needed to be on Kohma.

“She is, I can sense her,” Ahsoka replied.

Kohma’s presence was like a tiny flicker of light to her but even from a distance, she felt its warmth. The light shivered. Commander Tano clenched her jaw.

“As soon as I get her out, set off that flare. We’re late as it is,” she ordered, turning her back to size up the ridge wall.

“And what if they don’t come? What then, do we run?” He asked.

Her people skills were usually pretty good but she could swear there was bitterness in his tone. It contrasted the neutral feeling emanating from him within the force.

_Then all of this was for nothing and my Master’s gonna kill me,_ she thought but decided against fuelling his sudden onset cynicism.

“Then we’ll deal with it if it comes to that,” she answered plainly. “I’ll go on ahead. Meet me up there as soon as you can.”

Before he could cram in another “but”, she sprinted for the stony ledge and bounded 50 feet into the air. Ahsoka tucked and rolled gracefully onto the ridge’s edge, sparing one lingering glance over her shoulder. The smoke had thinned significantly and the village was practically empty. Bits of wood and wheelbarrows lay scattered about. Had it not been for the general disheveled look of it, the village would’ve felt homely.

To Ahsoka, buildings and property were of little importance compared to people. After battles in a populated area, she didn’t stop to think “what a relief no buildings were destroyed”. If citizens were out of the way, then she and the clones could do their jobs without fear for innocent lives. That’s what mattered. But looking down upon the remains of General Rhok and Kohma’s home, she couldn’t help but feel ashamed that her first instinct was to uproot these people and get them out of the way. This place was everything they had. And she was one of the ones helping to take it away from them.

The thoughts clawed at her Jedi values. Shaking them off had become increasingly more difficult in the last few days. So after one last check on the horizon and a notable lack of colourful smoke, Ahsoka ran before she changed her mind. As she trekked onward, the distant sounds of metal creaking grew louder, surrounding her. She spotted a patrol of droids continuing their retreat from her last encounter with them. As good as it would’ve felt to dice them up, she instead decided to leap into the treetops where her cover was more secure. She listened intently as they marched under her.

“I thought the General was supposed to be dealing with the Jedi. This is way out of my pay grade,” she heard one whinge.

“You get paid?” Another questioned hopefully.

“Shut it you two. We follow the General’s orders, not whine about it. No more until we reach the capital,” the captain spoke up.

“Roger, Roger.”

Her grip froze on the branches. Grevious must have met up with Obi Wan and Anakin to know she wasn’t with them. Of course that cruel, heartless bucket head would attack the village to lure them out. Once the droids were out of earshot, she leapt to the ground and doubled her pace. She instinctively sensed for the others, hoping that nothing went wrong. She struggled with finding Obi Wan but as usual Anakin’s force signature blazed like a sun at night. If anything had happened to Obi Wan Kenobi, she would’ve known from sensing his. Obviously nothing had. Signs from the flares or the force would’ve told her otherwise. But her misty vision and the way her gut churned was unsettling enough to warrant her vigilance.

Another couple paces and she’d reached the hut. Kohma was most certainly inside. She got the feeling that the elder was shaken up but still in one piece. Ahsoka took a deep breath, the stiffness in her shoulders loosening ever so slightly. She had begun to check if the area was clear or not when her throat flared up. The relief morphed into an intense anxiety.

She could smell smoke again.

Adrenaline moved her body before her brain could catch up.

Without thought or hesitation, she sprinted out into the open, weapons in hand and ready to cut down the door.

“Kohma! Get outta - “ her words were cut off by a _whoompf_ as a mechanical knee hurled into her gut and sent her flying backwards.

Ahsoka stabbed her sabres into the ground, igniting them on contact. Her skidding quickly slowed to a halt. Spluttering, she looked up only to wish that she hadn’t.

General Grievous crawled down from the roof, all four arms outstretched on display, preventing her from moving into the hut.

“If it isn’t Skywalker’s brat,” he greeted.

“Hey Tin Can - it’s been a while,” she responded. “Mind stepping aside and running away as usual?”

He cackled and it quickly devolved into a round of coughing.

“As usual, the youngling spouts more Jedi hypocrisy,” he spat, igniting a sabre and lifting it towards the thatched roofing. The embers started to burn brighter. “I’m not moving - but this time, I’ll make sure you won’t run either, J _edi Scum_!”

With that, he slashed the lip of the roof. It flared up instantly, like eager kindling.

“NO!” Ahsoka cried leaping in to get passed him.

The droid swung at her as she tried to leap through the windows. She ducked the first sweep but before she made it to the glass, she met another limb rotating to smack her backwards. Her sabres raised, she got in close - closer than she probably should have. Grevious may not be force sensitive but his reactions were as quick as metal and wires could be. He blocked and parried her duel sabres effortlessly, using his superior strength to force her into a lock each opportunity he could.

Ahsoka jumped onto his knees and leapt over him, her sabres clenched behind her in her reverse grip, ready for an incoming slash. Instead, the droid general jumped onto his arms, swivelling his legs over the top to catch her in the front. She sailed back into the ground under his momentum, trapped by a clawed foot. He held his sabres at her throat. Her mind finally caught up. _He’s not trying to kill me - he’s not allowed to._

_“_ Ahsoka! _”_

Haki’s voice cried out beside her and the gears in her head chugged into motion. She kicked out her feet to unbalance the distracted Grievous and made for an offensive jab to his chest plate. In his fleeting panic, he bashed the attack aside and retreated, allowing her to stand up again.

“Haki, Kohma’s inside!” She called out. He looked at the burning house, nodding grimly from the side. “When you see an opening -“

“Got it,” he finished as Grevious glared her down. She hated putting Haki in his way, but she was the only one who could keep the cyborg occupied.

She steadied herself, shifting to a more offensive Ataru stance that would make Obi Wan wince. Grevious couldn’t fight aggressively. She had to use the advantage to give Haki a window of opportunity to slip passed him.

“If you’re scared, it’s not too late to surrender!” She called back, fighting the instinct to look behind him to see how much of the house was left standing.

Kohma was there but she wasn’t even calling for help. Her silent fear grated the young Jedi’s nerves. 

“I could say the same for -“ Before Grevious could get in his response, Ahsoka had launched herself forward, slicing for his head and chest.

He backed up again as she manoeuvred herself between him and the building, keeping him focused on her. In her periphery, she saw Haki race through the door. _Good - now eyes on me bucket head_ , she told herself, leaping under and over the General’s attacks.

She heard Haki call out Kohma’s name. Each time, Grevious swung out more viciously, his anger testing his control. Haki called again. The droid growled in aggravation.

The hut behind her grew hotter. Ahsoka didn’t budge. _Be ready with that flare Haki_ , she internally urged. _Get her out and be ready…_

Greivous begun crashed his sabres over head and her vision filled with blue and green light as she blocked. Time seemed to slow down once again, like it had in her meditation. Her world was one of light and heat and sweat. Hot wind gusted around her, spewing embers in a whirlwind of red; dancing like the leaves of this village. Where embers met sky they hung for a while, hiding amongst the evening stars. She felt everything in focus, like she was the eye of the storm.

_What happens now, will decide everything…_

It was the same voice from before. Gentle and steady.

_…and I am sorry young one, but there is still more to learn._

Her focus flickered on the tinge of red on the horizon. It climbed higher into the sky. The eye passed over her.

She snapped back with a force push sending Grevious cracking into a nearby tree trunk. Her breath hitched as she finally registered the red flare.

Heart sinking into her stomach, she turned around and leapt through the burning door before the Cyborg could recover. Her sense clouded after she picked up on a glimpse of Anakin’s intense rage. The more she tried to steady her focus on him, the blurrier it got. The fire’s heat engulfed her as she whipped around in search of her allies.

“Haki! Kohma!” She yelled. “Where are you?”

No response. Her senses were rendered useless.

“HEY!” She shouted, diving further in. Spouts of fire and wood cracking under heat blocked her path every way she turned.

She needed to find them, to find Anakin and the others, to somehow make this right…

A ghostly echo of someone else’s pain shivered down her spine. Then a familiar voice rung through her head.

_Get out of here, Snips._

Ahsoka looked back to the door. Grievous was still out there. Innocent people were still inside. And every choice she had made, every order she had ignored had led her here.

“HAKI! KOHMA!” She tried once again out of sheer desperation.

Nothing answered but the roaring of flames and the reverberation of Kohma’s last words to her.

“ _You’re resolve is your greatest asset…_ ”

The last things she had left was herself and the mission. She had to survive this - to contact the Republic and prevent more of this from happening again. Her gaze flitted to the hand drawn picture of Kohma and Master Shaak Tii. Squeezing her eyes shut and clenching her fists, she spun on her heel, snatching the crispy drawing off of the wall. She readied herself, gripping firmer to her weapons; her last line of defence. With a running start, she broke through the window into the open air, ready to keep running through whatever sabre's and droids awaited her.

“I really wanted them to be wrong, you know.”

The adrenaline pumping through her veins turned to ice. He was leaning against the recently cracked tree, arms crossed over his chest. He felt as painfully neutral to her through the force as he had when they’d left the ship. But the more her senses pried, the more she realised that she wasn’t actually able to reach him. Like there was a wall over his presence.

“But the General was right. You Jedi always end up running away, don’t you?”

“Haki - ” With the flick of a wrist, the pistol concealed in the crook of his elbow had fired off a stun blast.

Ahsoka collapsed to her knees, her body desperately clinging onto the last of her resolve to keep her conscious.

As Haki approached, his com link buzzed with the voice of General Greivous. He casually answered, kicking the light sabres away from Ahsoka’s weakened grasp. The drawing crumpled beside her.

“Well done Phoenix 4. Count Dooku will be most impressed by our success.”

As Haki - or as she now knew him - Phoenix 4, looked up at the burning village, the wall slipped and that speck of conflict he’d let slip a couple times shone through. His eyes grew older at the sight of the wreckage in the night and for a final, horrifying moment, he looked so much like Anakin again.

“I’m sure he will be. Send a ship for me once you’ve retrieved Phoenix 3 and the rest. I’ve got it covered here,” he muttered softly.

Ahsoka’s strength quickly faded after several attempts at calling her sabres back to her. Without looking at her, Haki levelled the barrel of the pistol at her head once more. Her hazy eyes floated from the blazing hut to the village. Parts of it were still alight and the smoke curled across the cloudless night as if it covering it up. As if stars should not be allowed to shine so bright on a night like this.

“Where’s… Kohma…” she gritted through her teeth.

His silence was answer enough.

“Sleemo…” she hissed.

Haki pulled the trigger. Ahsoka’s hand rested on the charred image of the beaming Shaak Tii nestled in Kohma’s lap, with the knowledge that she had done everything she thought was right and because of that, she'd failed everyone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone - we're back! Sorry for the belated uploads, I knew this one was gonna be a big one to write. Yes, this story is still evolving and I'm still a keen bean to write it to the end! I've had it all planned out for a little while now so I like to make bits interesting to guess / find out along the way so whatever easter eggs you pick up on, let me hear it! As always, it really makes my week to hear your reviews and supportive words. I'm just really happy that people are enjoying the read.


	31. Political Patience

For all the beauty of the streaking stars of hyperspace, Padme Amidala had grown sick of it.

She'd stayed in the medical ward by Bail's side, even after the medics had given her the all clear to wonder the corridors to her own cabin. The huge window reflected the blue hues of space rushing passed as she sat in the corner opposite her unconscious friend. The colours reminded her of Anakin's eyes and any reminders of him sent a wave of anxious melancholy through her heart all over again. So it was best for her to look away.

The Senator sighed, moving to pace for the 50th time that trip. Hours had morphed into days for all she knew. After they'd boarded the cruiser with the Queen and her royal guards, the adrenaline continued to fuel her motivation for a brief period of time. She remembered ordering the medics to get Bail into intensive care. Watching the 501st and 212th battalions rush down to reinforce Anakin and Obi Wan kept her from the verge of panic. And the Queen's presence meant that Padme was able to do her part in drawing up a draft of their official alliance with the Republic. As soon as Queen Tolame had reiterated the condition of Ahsoka's safety, Padme's workflow had already begun to stagnate.

That had been many hours ago. Now, all that Senator Amidala could do was worry. They'd sent ahead a transmission to Coruscant regarding the current situation. The response was less than they'd hoped for. Apparently, neither the Chancellor nor the Jedi Temple had received word from Master Kenobi nor Skywalker; A full communications black out across the whole Shilli system. None of which was a good sign for their success… or their survival.

Her heels dug further into the floor. She was used to being in danger. She was used to assassination attempts and death threats and fire fights. As a senator, she'd made too many enemies to keep track of (much to her husband's simultaneous pride and dismay). But the one thing she'd never wanted to get used to was people laying down their lives for her. Over and over again, in every situation she'd gotten into, there were people there ready to help her. Protect her. Die for her. And throughout all of it, she survived because of their sacrifices.

She felt the weight of them each time she addressed the senate; Qui Gon, Sabe, Uncle Ono, Mina Bonteri and countless others she'd never know the names of. Knowing that Anakin, Obi Wan or Ahsoka could so easily join that list terrified her. If she fought and lost any battles on the senate floor with their lives on her shoulders, she wasn't sure what she would do. Probably something very stupid and very illegal, she reckoned.

The sudden sound of gentle groaning stirred Padme out of her spiral. The organic noise snapped her attention, unlike the mechanical beeping she'd begun tuning out.

"Padme?" Bail asked, his voice cracking as he attempted to sit upright. "Where are we, what - "

She hurried over, sitting on the edge of his bed and surrounding him in a tight hug. He chuckled weakly, rubbing the new bacta patches at the base of his neck.

"We're on a Republic cruiser with Queen Tolame," she muttered into the hug before pulling away. "She's ready to officialise the alliance with the Chancellor as soon as we land on Coruscant."

Bail nodded as he begun to process the information, gradually becoming more alert.

"And what of Master Skywalker's Padawan? Is she - "

"We don't know," Padme finished. "Anakin and Obi Wan found us then headed in to reinforce her. But… we haven't heard anything from them in about a rotation."

His gaze lingered on her as she stared helplessly into her hands. He then reached over and held them firmly.

"They'll be alright. I know no Jedi more crafty or stubborn than those two," he said slowly, knowing brown eyes glistening as they adjusted to the stark lighting. "And I have a feeling they've passed on a few of those qualities to their student."

Padme squeezed his hand in return. His friendship had been her lifeline upon entering the game of politics. He was respected in the senate for a reason, approaching everything he did with an unbreakable sense of grace. In times like these, it was something that kept her steady on her feet.

"I know," she replied, a smile slipping onto her face at the memory of her husband bickering with his Padawan and Master; her family. "We just need to make sure that it's all worth it in the end."

The comfortable silence that followed was broken by a light jolt of the floor beneath them. As the ship fell out of hyperspace, the glittering gold and beige planet of Coruscant filled up the medical wing viewport. The two stared at it with renewed tension.

"Well," Bail said. "I suppose we can start by authorising those reinforcements…"


	32. What Are You In For?

His head was foggy - a familiar sensation to him but only when he was around certain company. His limbs were acting as personal paper weights as he struggled to open his eyes. Instead, he remained swimming in his own unconsciousness as strings of words poured over him.

_Obi Wan, have you done as I asked -_

_I can not interfere with the ways of the force -_

_I'll do what I must, Obi Wan -_

_I've seen what I become and I cannot let that happen -_

_Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi Wan Kenobi -_

_Don't worry, I'll keep and eye on him -_

_Your focus determines your reality -_

_General -_

_Feel, don't think -_

_Master Kenobi?_

_Beware... your... heart..._

_OBI WAN -_

"- Obi Wan? C'mon, I need you here..."

His heavy eyelids cracked open.

Even in the cramped cell, his pupils strained to adjust to the meagre lighting. Trying to move his arms was a fruitless effort, deemed so by his energised restraints. Adding to this, he could feel little sensation flowing back into the rest of his body. But upon waking up, his brain had started to chug away at recollecting the events leading him to his new, grossly humble abode. Shilli… The ship… _Traitor…_

"Finally - took your time to come around," The voice came from beside him. He lolled his head forward to get a better view of Anakin Skywalker, hands strung up either side of him suspended mid air by coils of blue light. _Of course he's here_ , he thought, equal parts annoyed and thankful for his presence.

"Now that I have, I'm not sure if I would've preferred to stay unconscious," he replied, scanning their surroundings. In front of them was a double doored ray shield. Its red glow was their sole light source.

"I wouldn't judge," Anakin huffed back. "I've tried the locks already - anything other than the randomised code and it electrifies the restraints."

"I can only assume they've been ready for us for a while then," he mused, thinking back to Vance. Anakin grunted in response.

"Yup," he ground out. "Had us on a string the whole time, that shady…"

The fact that neither of them had been able to sense any dangerous intent from her deeply concerned him. Only Anakin was vaguely clued in during their last interaction - like the iron wall of her facade had suddenly become a curtain to draw back. But by then it was obviously too late. His mind rushed through protocol in an order of priorities.

"What about Ahsoka?" He said stiffly.

Anakin looked away, head dipping to his chest in a collision of frustration, concern and… defeat. None of which was a good sign.

"I don't know what happened… but I can sense that she's close," he sighed, clenching and unclenching his fists. The statement left little room for much hope.

"The clones?" Obi Wan asked gently, changing the topic to something more constructive. His men had suffered more than any of them in the past 48 hours. He had hoped that they may still be alive for the Nexus Route intel but he doubted the quality of their treatment all the same.

"Different barracks about two blocks down. From what I saw, they're in rough shape, but they've seen worse," Anakin affirmed, his unbridled confidence in his men mirroring that of himself. He looked back to Obi Wan, still dwelling on the fate of their Padawan but relaxing into the motions of sharing intel.

"Barracks?" Obi Wan pushed. From the vibrations he felt around them and the gentle roar of engines, he had assumed they were on a ship.

"From what I can guess, it's a modified cruiser for prisoners of war. It makes sense. Means that they can jump from system to system and conduct interrogations in hyperspace without being tracked."

"You seem impressed."

"Tech's tech. Separatist or not, it's a smart move," he conceded.

"It seems like we've been lacking in those recently..."

His sense, although clouded, started sparking at him, nagging him to turn to the door. Anakin's head had already whipped around to face the two commando droids at the ray shield. One stood next to number pad, eyes lighting up as it received the newly generated code. Hanging between them was a familiar silhouette, almost camouflaged in the red light. He felt himself lean forward with Anakin, but both knew who it was. As the shields flickered off, Ahsoka was dragged into the room as they set up her restraints.

"Ahsoka…" Anakin called out, leaning down for a better look at her condition. "Hey, Ahsoka, come on. You've gotta wake up."

She groaned sleepily in response.

Although Obi Wan saw Anakin rolling his eyes, within the force he sensed him lighting up the room.

"Snips, now is not the time for a sleep in!" Anakin hissed more desperately as the droids finished setting up the device.

Obi Wan watched as the Padawan strained to lift her neck, fighting the fatigue her body had already surrendered to. He suspected she may have suffered a concussion and that Anakin's pestering was not only keeping her awake but possibly keeping her alive. So he didn't interrupt as he encouraged her to fight back, no matter how ridiculous her chances were.

To his surprise, she managed to push back against the droid as it clasped her arm, tightening its grip. Anakin suddenly fell silent, closing eyes as his hands balled with focus. The droid's arm peeled open and slowly hovered back. Obi Wan's surprise suddenly outweighed his cynicism as Ahsoka yanked her arm away, dragging the other one with her as she threw a weak kick towards the restraints below Anakin's feet. The other droid pushed her down, kicking the back of her knees. Obi Wan lifted his hand, attempting to help Anakin hold it in place but his former student had other plans. In a pulse of anger, he clenched his fist, crushing the droid's head.

"Wait-" Ahsoka had barely mumbled before a blinding current zapped the two of them, breaking their focus with pain. By the time it had ceased and he had caught his breath, the droids were gone and Ahsoka was strung up beside them.

The three of them breathed as Ahsoka regained her clarity.

"I tried the same thing earlier…" she huffed out.

"Couldn't have mentioned it sooner?" Anakin muttered.

"How about you try making sense after two stun bolts to the head…" she snapped back.

"Is electrocution not good enough anymore?"

"Eh, you've handled worse."

"Yeah, I'm teaching _you_."

Obi Wan chuckled to himself. It had been eons since he'd heard them bicker like this. But as the adrenaline wore out, the tone of the conversation shifted.

"So do we have a plan for getting out?" She slowly inquired.

Anakin's shoulders tightened and he nudged their focus to the corner of the room where a device watched them. Even if they did have a plan, openly talking about it wasn't a great strategy.

"I don't know. Obi Wan, please tell me you've got a plan B."

"In all honesty, I didn't expect us to fail quite so spectacularly at Plan A…" He muttered in return.

He could feel Ahsoka shrink at the comment. It was intended to throw off anyone watching them but it suggested that he blamed her for the way things had turned out. He didn't. Still, she needed to take accountability for her actions. When they eventually make some kind of back up plan, they can't risk something like that happening again. The room fell into a contemplative silence, the sting of failure mellowing into more of an ache.

"Ahsoka…" Anakin's voice was low and hushed almost unusually steady. "What happened?"

Normally, Anakin would be the first one for hysterics. Had this happened to them a year ago, Obi Wan was certain that shame & blame would've been tossed around like a hot Jogan fruit. Listening to him now, the words were disappointed yet calm; without judgement. He briefly entertained the idea that Anakin Skywalker was in fact Mace Windu in disguise at the moment.

"I had to - " she started, her voice beginning bold and defensive but softening with the quiet. "They attacked the village. I couldn't just stand by and do nothing."

"You weren't doing 'nothing', you were following the mission," he replied, slowly to start with but gaining momentum as he went. "Without you, the Republic can't send reinforcements. Even if they do, it's too late to take back the planet by force. If you'd just stopped to think about it - "

"I wasn't thinking, okay?" She launched back, doubling down. "I can't explain it because I didn't think I just listened. It felt right. Or at least it did at the time…"

_Feel. Don't think._

The sentiment rang through Obi Wan's head, a painfully familiar lesson he'd never learnt to agree with. Anakin took a breath, calming himself before attempting to soothe her, sensing that she was on the brink of spiralling.

"It's alright, Snips. I just need you to walk us through exactly what happened."

"So you left for the village with Haki?" Obi Wan prompted.

She sighed, nodding. "We evacuated most of the villagers but Kohma wasn't with them. When I went to find her, General Greivous was already at the hut. Then Haki - " She choked on the name, clenching her jaw. "- after I sensed you two in trouble, he got the jump on me."

"You held off General Grievous?" Obi Wan asked, amazed at her stamina.

"I mean, with me as her teacher, it's not that surprising…" Anakin mumbled half heartedly. "But what happened to Kohma?"

She sucked in a shallow breath. _Ah,_ Obi Wan thought, catching on in an instant.

"She - I couldn't find her in the house. I don't think she got out…"

Grief swelled around them, gently encasing the three; Anakin's more tumultuous than either his or Ahsoka's. Their gracious host had lost her child to the Jedi and yet had so willingly taken them in as her own. She didn't deserve a fate as cruel as this. An inkling of doubt crept up on him after a quick mental review the new information.

"Ahsoka, did you check the bunker?"

She looked at him for a moment, blank faced and dumbfounded. "No, I couldn't reach it. Do you think that maybe - "

"Maybe," he said quickly. "It's just a possibility. But she's a crafty woman."

Ahsoka went slack with relief as she hung in the air. Anakin cast him a sidelong glance, the two more doubtful than they let on, but overall it had seemingly taken the edge off of their prison cell.

"So you faced General Grievous," Anakin confirmed. "But you were taken down by that little jerk?"

The moment of peace was instantly quashed with Ahsoka's sudden indignation.

"You AND Obi Wan got jumped by Vance!" She huffed. "Besides, it's not just that he got me. It's that even when he did, I couldn't sense anything from him."

An unsettling idea started to dawn on Obi Wan as he dissected the sentence.

"Ahsoka, what are you implying?" He queried. Anakin looked back to her, listening intently.

"I-I think Haki was once a Jedi…"

Anakin's serious composure broke with a baffled laugh reverberating around the chamber. The laughing fit seemed to be causing him more pain than the electric shock had earlier. _Definitely not Mace Windu in disguise then,_ Obi Wan concluded _._

"That kid? A Jedi? Come on Snips, you're killing me here," he chuckled, winding down.

A deep, regal voice echoed through the outer corridor, making Obi Wan's blood simmer like nothing else could.

"She's not wrong. Although watching your student kill you would certainly be entertaining."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Man, I left you guys on that cliff hanger for a WHILE. Sorry about that, it's been hectic recently (my Grandma is quite sick so it's been a lil stressful). Weekly updates may not be a thing anymore BUT yes I am still writing this story. I hope this chapter dump gives you your Clone Wars hit for the time being. Your comments are super appreciated, thanks for staying tuned in.


	33. Rules of War

Anakin had to admit; all things considered, it'd been a fairly heartwarming reunion before Count Dooku waltzed into the picture.

The Sith Lord stood behind the buzzing ray shield, smug expression illuminated by red light. Anakin's previous laughing fit was instantly stifled by a creeping rage. He stared the man down, willing him to spontaneously combust. However, his focus wavered as he recognised the figure standing beside him.

Now dressed in an all black uniform, Haki clasped his hands behind his back as naturally as any clone trooper would. His brain did a double take, comparing the image of the young, snarky diplomat to the war hardened Seperatist soldier that stood before him. Ahsoka suggested he may have been a Jedi. Now, he could sense that she was right but Anakin knew that he definitely hadn't been for a long time. The added betrayal of their shared upbringing saturated his growing resentment for the boy.

"Count Dooku, what an unpleasant surprise," Obi Wan greeted; a customary mockery.

Dooku merely straightened up and entered the newest randomised code for the ray shields. Haki followed close behind, his brow relaxed and eyes unreadable. Anakin quickly realised that his force signature was the same way. Neutral. Blank. Ready to coax some unsuspecting Jedi into lowering their guard. Even with Count Dooku standing right in front of him, he only sensed the bleed through of his dark presence.

"I'm sure it was a surprise, thanks to our mutual friend, Phoenix 4," he casually gestured to Haki.

"Pfft, you must be one lousy teacher, Dooku," Anakin scoffed. "What's this, your third apprentice?"

"Not counting Master Jinn..." Ahsoka muttered at no one in particular and for a split second, Obi Wan seemed almost proud.

Dooku leaned into Anakin's space. General Skywalker refused to give away the few inches of mobility that he had. Even as he felt Dooku's breath on his skin, he held firm. At this distance, the temptation to spit in his eyes was overwhelming but Obi Wan's judgement and the electro-shockers strapped to his wrists were strong deterrents.

"Not an apprentice, young Skywalker but a talented asset for the Seperatist cause," Dooku articulated. "He has certain... skills that are best suited for humbling you Jedi."

Ahsoka laughed and Anakin saw the Count's eye twitch at the sound. It was little moments like these when he started regretting all the huttese curses he'd taught his apprentice. All of them were appropriate for their current situation but using any of them would end up making their already bad day, worse.

"Humbling's the right word. Those 'skills' mustn't include climbing trees," she sniped, more at Haki than at Dooku himself. "Cause if it does, then you must be getting desperate."

The lack of cursing was a small relief until Anakin noticed Dooku's face turn from mildly entertained to spiteful in an instant. The Count moved away, his voice lowering dangerously. "You'd do well not to test me, child. Right now, your life is as expendable as your words."

Anakin prodded her through their force bond to keep quiet despite knowing what he'd said was a lie. If he continued to believe she was unimportant in all of this, that was better for all of them.

"What about the lives of those villagers? Were they expendable to you too?" She snapped, leaning forward to look around him. "Answer me!"

Her eyes blazed with a righteous fury but Anakin's concern outweighed his pride. He had hoped to cut her off, to sway the heat away from her. But something made him stop. In the corner of the room, he noticed Haki flinch at her accusation.

"It was a calculated risk," He clipped back, rushing to justify himself. "Their sacrifices will save countless others across the galaxy from a worse fate."

Count Dooku's sympathetic smirk made it clear that this wasn't the case. Even as a Separatist traitor - the highest class of bantha fodder - Anakin knew Haki was just another pawn in Dooku's game. He begun his retort but to his amazement, Obi Wan beat him to it.

"Sacrificing innocents is oxymoronic. Sacrifice is a choice and you gave them none."

Haki suddenly stepped forward, his face turning a heated shade of yellow. "Don't act like you Jedi are any better. You were just going to leave them here!"

_Here_. Anakin could've fist pumped the air. That snarky kid was still in there, making mistakes; messing up. And their persistence let that golden nugget of intel slip. They were still on Shilli. Or at least, they were still in the system. But he had to do what he could to cover it up before Dooku could notice.

"And you let them die!" Anakin roared. "You could never have been a Jedi. You're just a cold blooded murderer - "

The end of his sentence fell short as a crackle of electricity blitzed through him. As soon as it cut off, his breaths were shallow and heavy. His lungs were in overdrive. Dooku had his hand hovering over his wrist brace, looking less than amused. Obi Wan coughed to his side and Anakin felt a creeping guilt that all three of them had suffered because he'd pushed it too far. However, Ahsoka seemed more confused than winded which he thought was odd.

"We are getting off topic," The Count drawled on. "Now back to the matter at hand; The Nexus Route. Seperatist intel has informed us that General Kenobi and General Skywalker led the Citadel mission to rescue Evan Piell. Since he died on that mission, we can only assume he would have passed on the coordinates to whoever was with him."

Anakin sent Obi Wan a small prod through the force as if saying, _go on, this is your speciality_. He felt him comply. The attitude switch from snarky to somber felt natural of course. Obi Wan had always been good at deceiving others, whether Anakin was in on it or not. Bitterness crept into his finger tips as he flexed them, trying to ward off the resurfacing hurt from the Rako Hardeen incident. His old master took a deep breath and raised his mental shields.

"I'm sorry to inform you but you're wasting your time. Master Piell died before he got the chance to pass over the intel."

Dooku tilted his chin up at the comment, looking dissatisfied. He then turned to Haki.

The boy shook his head. "He's lying."

_That's not good,_ Anakin thought.

The Count stepped forward, drinking in Obi Wan's bewilderment.

"It appears I haven't been clear enough, Kenobi," he drawled. "Not even The Great Negotiator can talk his way around Phoenix 4. So let's try this again: Who here has the Nexus Route?"

Ahsoka stiffened but followed Anakin's lead, staying deadly quiet. If Haki could read Obi Wan so easily, he'd be able to sniff out anything either of them lied about. The silence wore on and Dooku impatience swelled, shifting over to Ahsoka's side of the room.

"Come on, Master Jedi, out with it. I am more than eager to see this one suffer. Don't give me more reasons to do so. I know how precious your younglings are to you..." Dooku lifted his hand to his wrist brace.

A pit of tension filled his gut as his blood grew hotter. Anakin knew he was in no position to make demands, let alone threats, but he'd abandoned subtlety as soon as Count Dooku stepped into their cell. If there was one thing Anakin Skywalker knew, it was this; no one hurt his friends. Not while he was around.

"Try it and I'll kill you myself."

Ahsoka shot him a worried glance and he could feel Obi Wan's eyes burning on his back. He avoided them, sizing up the trigger happy Sith Lord. Should it come down to it, he knew he might be able to stop him but it was a big "might". The only person in the room with the ability to do anything about it was Ahsoka herself and he couldn't see her budging any time soon. With a satisfied glint in his eye, Dooku looked as if he'd made up his mind.

Then someone else cut in on the conversation. This time, it wasn't Obi Wan.

"My lord," Haki said, sternly. "You can't do that."

Dooku froze and Anakin felt the chill from his icy gaze shoot straight passed him at his new pet project.

"And why is that, Phoenix 4?" He said, tone clipped and curt. Ahsoka took the chance to lean away from him, eager to put as much distance as she could between them now that he was well and truly fuming.

"The Confederacy of Independent Systems must adhere to the rules of war laid out by our own justice system," he said as calmly he could in the face of the one person in the room who was on his side. "And under subsection 5 B of the Interrogation Act, beings that have not yet reached biological maturity are not to be subject to violent methods of questioning. Jedi or not, she's still a minor. Therefore, we are only permitted to detain her."

Throughout his years of the war, Anakin had never heard of any Separatist laws regarding interrogations. He supposed it was because he and Ahsoka had never been interrogated together before. But even then, by the look on Count Dooku's face, it seemed he had never abided by such restrictions. And Anakin couldn't see the likes of General Greivous obeying the same guidelines.

Still, the fierce expression Haki made implied that all Separatists would follow these regulations stringently. Anakin's gaze flickered between Dooku's hand and the activation on his com link. As the their captors remained distracted, Ahsoka stared daggers at him with the smallest shake of her head. Neither backed down and Anakin was readying himself to see whether Dooku would kill the boy here in their cell.

A loud buzz cut through the frosty silence. It was Haki's comlink, the familiar voice of Vance ringing down the end of it.

"Phoenix 4? Haki, are you there?"

Haki stayed steady, unmoving.

"Answer it," Dooku permitted.

The boy didn't take his eyes off of Dooku for a single moment as he raised his wrist to answer the call. Had he not been such a sleemo, Anakin would've admitted to being impressed.

"Phoenix 3, I read you. What's the matter?" He said.

"The evaluation's complete. We're ready to move them now," she crackled down the end of the com.

_Evaluation_ , Anakin thought, his suspicions confirmed. _They were monitoring us._ His muscles tensed with the realisation that from this point onwards, there wouldn't be much they'd be able to do to coordinate. He looked to Obi Wan. His head was low; his expression grim. The sinking feeling in his gut only deepened at the sight. As a Padawan, even the smallest of wry smirk's from his Master used to be all the reassurance he needed in a dire situation. He'd forgotten how much he used to rely on it now that it wasn't there.

"Copy that, Phoenix 3. We'll bring them around soon enough. Phoenix 4 Out," Haki finished, pausing to gauge the Count's response.

"Well? You shouldn't keep her waiting," the old man crooned, his cloak gliding behind him as he turned on his heel toward the exit, his hand moving to rest on his injured shoulder.

Four armed magnaguards were now standing at the ray shields, electro staffs at the ready. The door buzzed open and they walked in, flanking either side of his and Obi Wan's restraining devices. He worked to steady his breathing as he watched his oldest friend being dragged out of the cell by two of the droids. _Obi Wan knows what he's doing,_ he reminded himself. _Plus Ahsoka has legal protections now._ As the other two clankers clamped their metal hands just above his elbows, he caught a glimpse of something from Ahsoka through the force.

Her head was up and alert, her whole body pitched as far forward as she could go, trying to stay as close as she could to the both of them. He caught her eyes for a final time and something unfamiliar lay behind them; fear.

Throughout their time together as master and padawan, they'd seen each other through their lowest moments over the war. Whether that was him consoling her after losing her men or her reminding him to have patience during a rough mission. Through grief, frustration, humiliation and exhaustion, they had always built each other back up again without judgement. It was one of the things he most appreciated about their relationship. Sure, they'd keep each other in line but both knew that they'd never look down on one another for it.

Seeing Ahsoka so openly scared, she suddenly looked just as young as she was when he had first met her on Christophsis. He had to do something but he was already halfway out of the cell. With time running out, he did the only thing he could think of to calm her down just as Obi Wan had done for him so many years ago.

As the doors clicked shut and he was dragged down the corridor, he put on the grin he'd wished to have seen earlier and gave her a small two fingered salute. _We've got this Snips,_ he shouted down at her through their shared bond. _They've got nothing on us._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh what? Another chapter within a week? I got inspired and y'all got lucky;) As always, thanks for reading, it's such a joy to see new comers hopping on and have a good ol' binge of this story.


	34. Across The Stars

Padme immediately felt her troubles ease as she stepped onto the lush red carpet of the Chancellor's office. Clone officers and Shilli guards hurried her inside, along with Bail Organa and Queen Tolame. All of them looked exhausted after the journey but they'd unanimously agreed to settle the treaty as soon as they had touched down on Coruscant. Light streamed in from the enormous windows, pouring over a large throne like chair in the centre of the room. As the chair swivelled around, Padme was met with the beaming face of one of her oldest friends.

"Senator Amidala! What a relief it is to see you safe," cried the Chancellor, smile lines deepening the wrinkles on his face.

He stood up as they briskly walked over to him, waving aside his assistant, Mas Amedda, as he tried to slow the older gentleman down. Padme returned the warm greeting with as much gusto as she could manage.

"Thank you, Chancellor, it's good to see you," she said, with a small bow. "Though I wish it were under less urgent circumstances. May I introduce Queen Tolame, Regent for the Shilli System."

She stepped aside to reveal the Queen, who's golden robes and headdress detailed with ornamental teeth glittered in the stark sunlight. By viewing her as a diplomat, one never would have guessed that as per Shilli tradition, she would have fought and killed the beast of whom the teeth belonged to. Padme knew it went a long way to show how quickly older civilisations had to adapt to their ever changing galaxy.

"Your majesty, I am terribly sorry to hear what has happened to you and your planet," he replied, lowering his head, his hands clasped in front of him. "Let us hope this alliance proves useful in preventing any other Separatist schemes like it."

The Queen did not move an inch. Her head remained firmly level. Padme could've sworn she seemed taller now than when she was on the cruiser.

"Your sympathy is noted, Chancellor Palpatine, but I require more than just pretty words. I need to see your senate take action to recapture my home," she urged with steel in her voice.

Bail threw Padme a concerned look as Mas Amedda raised an unamused eyebrow. They needed action, but the bluntness of the Queen's demand wasn't common practice in the Senate and wouldn't be seen as "accommodating". Padme understood her frustrations all too well from when Naboo was under attack by the Trade Federation.

"What her majesty is inquiring is if Republic reinforcements have already been sent to their system yet?" Bail clarified, as cool and collected as ever.

The Chancellor widened his arms in a welcoming gesture, attempting to settle down situation.

"Not to fret, your majesty, we sent a Republic cruiser as soon as we received your message. We will be certain of situation shortly, I promise."

"A single ship?" The Queen hissed. "We promised you an army and you send a single ship?"

Padme could see her pointed teeth under her curled upper lip. Sensing her ever increasing aggression, the clone officers stood at attention, ready to rush to the Chancellor's side. He straightened up and with a gentle shake of his head, they backed down. His demeanour shifted as he walked up the steps to the Queen's side, politely ignoring the Shilli guards whom towered over him.

"My dear, it brings me no pleasure to exert such caution. But we cannot afford to redirect an entire fleet to your system without more information," he lectured. "However, you have little to fear - with Masters Kenobi & Skywalker leading the charge, I'm certain that it will be good news."

Meanwhile, the clones standing behind the Chancellor had been locked in a hushed argument with his assistant for the duration of his placating speech. As Mas Amedda nodded at the troopers, he waved them away and started towards the group once more.

"Pardon the interruption Chancellor, but I'm afraid the news is less… _optimistic_ than we'd hoped for," he begun.

Padme gritted her teeth. The sentence made her heart rate skyrocket and hearing it from a senator whom she wasn't particularly fond of only added to her aggravation. She tolerated Amedda's smug expressions and chilly demeanour only because the Chancellor seemed to respect his judgement. However, she had always found him to be rather callous whenever she tried to push for peaceful resolutions. The term "naive" was thrown her way too many times to count. Her breath tightened as the Chancellor responded.

"What is it?" Chancellor Palpatine insisted.

Mas Amedda bowed his head, eyes briefly catching Queen Tolame staring him down as if he were an insect in her way. The catch in his throat before he replied gave her more satisfaction than it should've.

"I - I regret to inform you that the Seperatists have overrun our Republic forces on Shilli. We failed to establish contact with any of the Jedi as we've recently received intel that they've been captured by the enemy."

"Then send in more reinforcements."

To everyone's surprise, it was Padme herself who was giving the order. The Queen actually turned around to look down at the passionate young senator at her side. But Bail's expression turned sympathetic as he realised what the news meant for her.

"Shilli is now officially allied with the Republic. We have an obligation to send in whatever reinforcements it takes to secure the planet - "

She caught herself on Bail's arm and realised that she'd been striding forwards as she spoke. The Chancellor took a deep regretful breath.

"We will, senator Amidala, I assure you that we will. But now, it will take considerably more time to organise the campaign needed to retake the planet, let alone to rescue Anakin and Master Kenobi..."

Queen Tolame turned on them in an instant, rushing forward in outrage. The people around her became blurred, their voices distant and filtered. The Queen was hollering obscenities as the Clones had stepped in front of Chancellor Palpatine. Mas Amedda was standing between them, fighting back in deep, condescending tones. Sometime during that, Bail had marched to the Queen's side, throwing out queries and liability clauses and everything else she may have resorted to had she been able to focus.

But Padme could only stand there, frozen as a memory reclaimed her time.

She remembered when Anakin spoke of what it was like to have a deep connection to the force. He would harp on about how "boring" Obi Wan's lessons were regarding how the force connected all living things. The same lessons that he nowadays desperately tried to recall when teaching Ahsoka. Once, on the rare occasion that they got to share the same room, she'd asked him point blank what the force felt like to him.

He laughed before responding with, _"I don't know, what does breathing feel like to you?"_

She glared him down after so easily submitting to the urge to tease her for not knowing something.

" _Ani, you know what I mean. What does being connected to all living beings entail?"_

Anakin stared at her more intensely this time, the smile never wavering from his face. Then he closed his eyes and she felt his breathing become more rhythmic, felt the rise and fall of his chest as she lay next to him. Within her, she felt a warmth swell in her core and begin seeping out to the tips of her fingers. The apartment air turned sweeter and more easily obliged the push and pull of her lungs as she felt her heartbeat fall in synchronicity with his.

Her body felt at once grounded and yet like she was floating in the salt water lakes on Naboo. A wave of soft whispering quietened the ever present chatter of scheduled meetings and drafted bills that occupied her mind. And what was more surreal - the weight was gone; the weight she'd carried around with her ever since taking the throne of Naboo when she was 14 years old.

The weight of an entire galaxy of innocent lives, both past and present; friends and strangers; was lifted out of her closed chest and opened up before her. She could still feel them, but their presence didn't weigh her down. Feeling it now it wasn't like they weighed anything. For light weighed nothing and that's all they were. Luminous beings.

Anakin squeezed her hand gently and she slowly blinked up at him, as if waking up from a deep sleep. He pecked her forehead and said, _"the force flows through all living beings. So tell me; what does it feel like to you?"_ Her body was relaxed but her mind worked quickly, providing her answer within seconds. " _Connection."_

Standing on the lush red carpet of the Chancellor's office, Padme felt the world slip away around her, as if that familiar weight was dragging her through the floor. The fight continued on, having grown more passionate with each stake, arguing the politics of sending children into battle, the rumours of the Republic's corruption and Shilli's threats of joining with the Seperatists.

Padme couldn't hold onto a single sentence of it. Everything she'd done for peace, by fostering diplomacy with Shilli and having to let the ones she loves stay and fight in her stead, had ultimately been for nothing. The people she cared for were out of reach, most likely suffering, and she couldn't feel any of it. Anakin had helped her to feel the force, to understand what it was like to have that reassurance of connection.

But as she scrounged deeper to find that feeling again, for some sign of him, even just a flicker of light, there was nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all - so it's been a while. Personally, too much has been happening in my life for the past couple of months but even with exams on the horizon, I couldn't help but fall back onto Clone Wars to help get me through it. So here we are; it's good to be back.


	35. Inside the Heart of a Separatist

_Nothing._

The word played over and over again in her head as she stared down the three Jedi on the monitors before her. The rest of the room was dark aside from the flickering of lights from tiny dials. The other source of illumination from the screen in front of her blasted sterile light into her retinas. Her fist was glued to the side of the intercom button, reluctant to press it again for fear that the word would scream at her.

_Nothing._

Throughout the entire time of their stay at the Separatist facility, Vance had learned nothing from the Jedi or their clones. The psychological evaluation she'd made when the Jedi had reunited indicated that separating them was the best situation to produce the results that they needed. The two oldest Jedi on the left and centre screens had been subject to the usual order of interrogation: reduced rations, sustained questioning and of course the intervallic shock treatment to keep them awake. Meanwhile, the clones were being kept in small groups as they attempted to identify which troopers could've been old enough to have partaken in the Republic's Citadel Mission. The last monitor to her right held the image of two Togrutan silhouettes. The shapes alone made her chest ache as she remembered the Togrutan villagers, regrets clawing at her mind for letting the notoriously reckless Cyborg carry out her plan for capturing the Jedi. The low hushed tones from the screen brought her back to the present, mildly surprised at the quiet turn that the conversation was taking.

She'd sent Haki to the Padawan's cell more out of curiosity than caution. He'd spent more time with her than Vance had on the planet and she was certain that there was at least a 70% chance of the conversation turning into a screaming match. Regardless of that statistic, without the aid of more agressive methods of questioning, Haki stood the best chance to get any kind of rise out of her. But from the intel that their Separatist spies had gathered, there was no Ahsoka Tano registered for the Citadel mission and thus, no reason to assume she knew too much about it. Upon witnessing her Master's unusually protective nature, the information had made more sense. He was one exception among many she'd come across from the Jedi order who'd bent the rules of "non-attachment". She suspected that with a deeper analysis of his fragile temper and closed off psyche, that at some point he'd had to let go the hard way and that he wasn't eager to let it happen again.

A beleaugered sigh escaped her.

No matter what those old kooks in the Jedi order claimed, no living being was above pain, let alone fear. She'd had to drill that lesson into Haki far too many times to quell his anxieties about his Jedi hangups.

When she found him on Shilli's moon, Numia, he was only 16 years old, unconscious and surrounded by a ring of ashes. A knock to the head had left him with irreversible coordination issues but worse still was that in the early days of their friendship, he couldn't stop apologising for everything. In his mind, he was only ever "letting her down" any time he couldn't bring himself to fly the ship or even light a fire. Anytime he did, she'd see flashes of terror as his memories took him back to the moment his Master had abandoned him. She would watch as he shoved his fears further down his throat, the guilt for even voicing them almost too much for him to bare. The fact that he'd been taught to do such a thing sickened her. She clenched her fists tighter, her lips holding back the curses she wanted so desperately to sling at the pompous Jedi knights for the cruelty of the Order they upheld. But another voice soothed her frustrations and she relaxed as she pictured the speaker's face.

The man had pale skin and jet black hair. Wrinkles formed at the edge of his eyes, having deepened from the stress of raising a teenager. A stress that over the last 5 years, she'd started to understand better with rehabilitating Haki.

" _We use droids instead of living beings. We ask for independence and accountability from our government. We hold ourselves to a higher standard, Phoenix 3. The best way to learn anything from the enemy, is to convince them that we aren't the enemy. Or at least that they should reconsider who is_."

Vance loosened her shoulders, letting the memory sink into her muscles. A new spark of energy was rekindled inside of her as she moved to open up the intercom channel.

"Alright Phoenix 1," she muttered to herself. "We're setting a higher standard - we are not the enemy…"

She pressed the button linking her to Master Obi Wan Kenobi's cell. The bearded ginger seemed like the better option to tackle than the other Jedi Knight. That and the fact that being in the same room as "The Hero With No Fear" kicked her molecules into a frenzied state of fight or flight. He'd wasted no time in sensing her deception as soon as Haki had left her side and she didn't need the force to know that he was out for blood. The memory of the blue lightsaber careening towards her neck still made her involuntarily shiver. No, interrogating the older Jedi was the safest bet in every regard.

"Master Kenobi? Has your memory cleared up since our last chat?"

The Jedi Master went to laugh but the attempt merely resulted in a dry cough.

"Unfortunately, I can't say that it has," he replied, his voice far more tender than it was two rotations prior. "I don't suppose you've reconsidered lending my friends and I an escape pod?"

Vance held herself back from a retort, caught halfway between aggression and genuine laughter. Instead, she got up from her seat and exited the darkened room, walking down the steely grey corridors until she found the cell she was looking for, flanked by two commando droids. To the left of the metal door was a number pad, and after a quick update, she plugged in the randomised code. The metal sheet slid up with a scraping clang and she waltzed down the steps to see the surprised, sweaty face of "The Great Negotiator", strung up in the centre of the room and lit by dim red light.

"I see that my skills of persuasion are still up to par," he huffed, the lightness of his remark offset by the darkened cell. "See to it that my companions are released and we shall be on our way."

She folded her arms, tilting her head in thought. When faced with Haki, the man would refrain from speaking at all. His little stunt the first time around had tipped off the Jedi that speaking wasn't in his best interests around the boy. And from what Vance knew of Jedi psychology, Kenobi would be diverting all his concentration to reinforcing his mental shields around Haki. In her presence however, he seemed to let loose. _Good,_ she thought.

"If you give us the information we're asking for, we'll happily oblige your request," she said, matching his pace and tone with ease.

He sighed, shaking his head as he let his wrists carry his weight. As soon as he moved, the commando droid behind him stabbed an electric tip into his back and he cried out with the shock. Vance shouted at the droid, seizing it's attention and promptly directing it out of the room. The downside of having an army of droids programmed for violence was that they rarely saw the tactical benefits of compassion.

"Ah yes - " he groaned, eyeing the droid as it exited the cell. "You'll _happily_ dispose of us once you have what you need."

Vance allowed herself to chuckle this time.

"You've certainly made up your mind about us, haven't you Master Kenobi?" She said, avoiding direct eye contact to reduce confrontational body language.

She could feel him size her up, catching his mild frown through the loosened strands of her frizzy grey hair.

"After what little I saw of that village and after the horrors I've witnessed during this war, yes. I certainly have."

The silence was pulled taut as the two probed each other for any sign of continuing. Vance adjusted her approach accordingly; her regrets about the way things had turned out for Shilli's innocents, the doubts she had in her leaders ethics - all of it would need to come to light if this conversation were to go anywhere meaningful.

"It was my plan to lead the Padawan back to the village," she confessed quietly. The older Jedi remained still but his silence indicated that she had caught him off guard. "General Grievous followed through with it, but not in the way I had intended."

She finally looked up again, forcing the prolonged eye contact so he could fully sense her sincerity. He wouldn't be allowed to distance himself behind dry remarks and dark humour anymore. She would see to it.

"I underestimated his ruthlessness and I regret those decisions far more than you're willing to give me credit for. But I won't deny that that village burned because of my mistakes."

To his credit, the Jedi Master held her gaze for as long as he could before the strain of his neck became too great for his fatigue to handle. As his body sunk back into it's restraints, he released a held breath.

"Why are you here, Vance?" He asked pointedly.

To any outsider, the question would've seemed abrupt and off topic. But Vance knew this behaviour all too well. When prisoners had their beliefs about her challenged, the first thing they searched for was any indication that she was some kind of outlier to their world view. That this kind of behaviour must be abnormal.

"For very different reasons than you are, Master Jedi. I believe in the Seperatist's cause to fight for our independence from the Republic, " she replied, " - and that we can help lead the way for holding our leaders to a higher standard of accountability. I'm _here specifically_ because I happen to have the skills necessary for covert operations; I understand combat and I understand people."

"And these leaders that you hold to account… are they the same ones who you admitted, ruthlessly attacked a village of innocents," he countered, the exchange using more energy to sustain than he had obviously compensated for.

She shook her head.

"It's not a perfect system and until this war is over, it probably never will be," she relented. "But that shouldn't stop my government from striving to be better. Haki informed you of our interrogation clauses prohibiting acts of violence against minors in Separatist custody. Yes?"

The man readjusted himself, looking at the ground skeptically.

"Yes, I must admit, that did come as a surprise," he said. "But that doesn't excuse - "

"It's surprising to you because your Republic doesn't have to account for commanding officers, prisoners of war, being children," she snapped, feeling the agitation from earlier returning. "Unlike you, I've seen far too many younglings pass through these corridors and with each year they only get younger and younger."

She turned away from him, the feelings emerging a little too raw for her to handle in a controlled manner. The next sentence left without her consent.

"I dread the day I see them leave this place, only to be sent straight back to the battlefield to die," she said her voice hushed and tense. "And those are just the Jedi - we both know that too many beings have suffered because of this war."

The image of Phoenix 1's face resurfaced, pale and handsome. She watched a memory replay of the day he'd said goodbye to his family. His wife and teenage son - his honorary "2nd in command" as they'd used to joke- both waving at them from the Raxus platform, dressed immaculately for the occasion; the day he'd been dispatched to the Aargonar outpost.

The Jedi interrupted her reminiscing.

"As you say, it's... regretful that we have to take such measures. But by continuing to fight this war, you leave us with little choice - "

"But don't you see what this is? Now you do have a choice!" She insisted, walking closer so he had no other option than to stare her down. "You can choose to end it, right here."

His brief confusion slowly morphed into a dawning sense of the point she was making once more.

"One life. That's all. We just need the Chancellor to legitimise our senate and then all of this suffering can finally be over," Vance said, cinching the moral trap around the Jedi Master. His eyes fluttered in thought and narrowed.

"As Jedi, how we choose to conduct ourselves is as important as the outcome..." he replied but the edge to his conviction was blunt. She was close, he just needed one more push.

"Master Obi Wan Kenobi; don't the lives of many far outweigh that of just one. Isn't that more true to the Jedi way? Why insist on this pretence of serving the Republic when you know that fewer people will be at stake if you just hand over the intel and let us finish this war. What difference does it make who wins if the fighting will stop?"

Obi Wan Kenobi remained silent, his lips tightening as if she had suddenly turned into Haki.

"Who has the intel?" She pushed again.

_Nothing._

"Tell me who has the nexus route coordinates." More urgently this time.

_Nothing._

"WHO?" she spat in his face, her patience cracking like a porcelain mask.

And still, the Jedi said nothing. His brow was a firm line, his head steady at her eye level. Her breath came out in shallow huffs, exhausted from the emotional battle she had just wrought. Metal footsteps echoed behind her as a monotoned voice relayed information. The importance of it could've been minor or catastrophic and it would've sounded the same.

"The clones have been successfully identified, mam. Of the total squadron, seven would have been present for the Citadel Mission."

She closed her eyes, straightening her posture and slicking back loose baby hairs to feign some semblance of composure.

_"_ _We hold ourselves to a higher standard. We are not the enemy…"_

The words now rang empty in her head. The Jedi didn't care about any of it. They were too far gone to be reasoned with, too arrogant to be swayed…

"Of the clones not present for the mission… which of them is the oldest?" She inquired softly.

"CT - 3387, Mam."

She nodded, feeling her chest begin to ache with shame and regret. _No_ , she thought, crushing the feeling where it started. _They brought this on themselves._

"Bring him in…" she ordered, leaving the cell and the Jedi inside it a darker place than when she had entered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, I'm pumped watching Mando season 2 so y'all are getting some more story packed goodness! Exams are once again just around the corner so this chapter will have to act as an oasis in the desert for now. But yes - after I've stopped stressing my butt off, this will continue.


	36. Mental Gymnastics

_By her own rough approximations, Ahsoka determined that the council meeting had been going on for just over 2 millennia before Master Yoda had called for the other council members to vacate the room. Her own Master remained steadfast at her side, his tall shadow a stark contrast to hers and Master Yoda's in the Coruscant sunset. But eventually, he too was directed out of the chambers. His facade of stubborn calm faltered briefly but he obeyed the order, leaving her alone with the little green lifeform._

_This was the exact moment she'd been dreading since their arrival on Coruscant. She guessed that was the reason that the chamber was now empty. Grandmaster Yoda could sense it within her. Easily. Still, she knew what she had to do and knew that nothing was going to stop her from making sure it was done properly._

_"_ _Padawan Tano. Great burden, you have carried for Master Piell, hrm?" He asked, motioning for her to sit down. She obliged, stiff legs folding underneath her in a sort of mediative position._

_"_ _Yes, Master," she replied._

_"_ _Successful, your mission was," he affirmed, leading her across well trodden ground._

_"_ _Concern, I sense in you," he continued, closing his eyes and reaching out. "Guilt, shame."_

_"_ _Yes, Master…" she responded again, the steel in her voice beginning to wilt._

_Master Yoda stepped down from his council seat and waddled over to her, placing a small green claw on her shoulder. The effect grounded her immediately as she looked into his ancient eyes._

_"_ _Disobedient, you may have been. Failed him, you did not."_

_The words soothed her nerves and she relaxed into the ground. To most, Master Yoda was the Republic's most powerful warrior. But to the Jedi, he was their pillar; their compass. His boundless compassion within the force was too often forgotten for his physical skills. Aside from Anakin, Plo Koon and even Padme, Master Yoda was the only other being who could read her emotions effortlessly. She got the feeling that Obi Wan could too, but he'd never said anything to her about it. In a way, she respected that trust that whatever was on her mind, she would work it out in her own time. However, the aftermath of this particular mission had been almost too much for even her to handle alone._

_Ahsoka nodded her response, taking a deep breath before selecting her next words carefully._

_"With respect,_ _Master Yoda, I need to know that the information will be revealed to no one but the Jedi Council."_

_The old Master took a deep breath, a clawed hand held to his chin in thought. The echoes of Evan Piell's final words resonated in the force around them._

_"_ _To the Republic, the Council's duty is," he said softly. "Control the will of the Chancellor, we cannot."_

_Ahsoka levelled her head steadier, stubborn and unmoving. It wasn't that she didn't like the Chancellor. Sure, she was fairly certain that he wasn't a fan of hers considering how many times she'd been left outside his office as he talked alone with Anakin. But by all accounts and as she knew from her friends, he was a good man._

_This wasn't about that._

_This was about honouring a Jedi Master's dying wish; a final order that she intended to follow down to the letter._

_"_ _I understand that, Master. But I can't reveal the information unless I'm certain that it stays here," she said._

_Master Yoda nodded slowly and she sensed him dive deeper into the force. He seemed distracted, his eyes glossy and far away as if he were on the other end of another conversation entirely. Then something sparked in him. His small body tensed for a moment - then relaxed just as quickly. Turning back to face her, there was a familiar mischievous twinkle in his gaze._

_"_ _Safe, the information will be," he agreed, smiling with a little bounce of his head. "A risk to the Chancellor, this knowledge is, hrm?"_

_Ahsoka's chest felt lighter as the Jedi Master winked at her through the force._

_"_ _Firmly advise this, the council will. A grave matter of Republic security, it is."_

_After a stunned silence, Ahsoka released the tension from her gut into the force as she bowed low to the ground._

_"_ _Thank you, Master Yoda."_

* * *

Ahsoka quickly buried the memory as soon as it surfaced, hoping that her mental shields had improved since then. By her best guess, she assumed it had been over two rotations since the last time she'd seen Anakin or Obi Wan. The amount of time spent by herself was quickly grating on her nerves. She'd never felt more uncomfortable to be left alone with her thoughts than she was suspended in that cell. They ran wild and unrestrained, mulling over the familiar voices she's heard when she decided to head back to the village. In hindsight, it would've been a safe bet to assume that the voices she'd heard bore her ill intent. But Ahsoka couldn't quite accept that. She'd felt truly at peace, like she'd made the right decision. No, those voices weren't malicious.

If she could equate the experience to anything, it had felt like she was once again in the presence of the Daughter from Mortis.

Mortis.

The Father's last words to Anakin.

_Beware your heart._

The fact that her master was potentially the most important force user in the galaxy was something she used to use to boost her ego. Ahsoka was chosen to be the "Chosen One's" apprentice. That had to mean that she was special too. But after years of war, she had left that train of thought behind. He was just Anakin Skywalker; the mechanic, the reckless hero with well hidden fears. Knowing that he'll have such a big role to play in the fate of the galaxy was no longer exciting; it was terrifying. She'd seen what he was capable of, both the good and the bad. He'd never take it as a compliment, but the number one reason that Anakin Skywalker was a good leader was because he lead with his heart.

So if that was the one thing he was warned about…

Unnerved by the implications of that particular line of logic, Ahsoka fiddled with the locks on her restraints for the millionth time to the same lack of success. But she knew her own discomfort was merely a reflection of what she felt from the other two. Sometimes she heard a voice in her ear, demanding information. Other times, her muscles would gently spasm accompanied by a whining in her brain as she lived the whiplash of their pain through the force.

Anakin and Obi Wan's telegraphed experiences were amplified by the silence. She knew that they were hurting and the guilt collected itself in tight pit in her chest. There was a chance it would stop if she told them what they wanted to hear. But she knew Anakin. She knew Obi Wan. She even knew her troops. They'd been prepared to suffer far worse to protect Coruscant and they were willing to keep holding out until the tide changed in their favour. She would just have to honour their sacrifices and do the same.

Unfortunately, this became a far more difficult task when she spotted her least favourite ex-Jedi lurking outside of her cell - his force signature still reading as a blank slate to her senses. 

Ahsoka clamped her mouth down, not trusting herself to holler obscenities at the boy without compromising her mental focus.

With his hands neatly behind his back, Haki plugged in the newest code and the buzz of the ray shield slipped away. He marched into the room, walking forward until he was face to face with her. His pale yellow skin appeared pink in the red light and his eyes locked onto hers as if trying to bypass their scrutiny and see straight into her brain. Ahsoka snarled, meeting his gaze with as much ferocity as she could, tapping into her Shilli heritage as a hunter.

He closed his eyes.

The sensation of him testing the walls of her mind was a new experience for her. It felt like he was mentally inspecting it for cracks. Ahsoka reverted to her breathing exercises, hearing nothing but her Master's teachings in her head. One by one, she began shutting out every other sensation in the room around her until her only focus was on building her mental wall. Haki squinted, tilting his head in amusement. She could sense him briefly step away from her mind.

"Yes, you are a lot like your Master, aren't you?" He said quietly.

The fact that he'd been able to pick up her surface level of thought so easily took her by surprise. Without hesitating, Haki's presence shoved back against her shields, violently kicking down the doorway to the depths of her mind. He was inside now. She could feel it.

"Get out," she muttered dangerously.

In the physical world, he backed up, looking far more comfortable from his new vantage point into her thoughts. Then he began pacing around her, adding to the external sensory environment that she was desperately trying to block out.

"But it's far more interesting in here," he said. "I can see you better now."

"Do you see me busting outta here and wiping that stupid look off your face? Because I that's what I'm seeing right now," she bit back, hoping that he saw the scene in her mind's eye as she continued to lock up every scrap of memory to do with the citadel mission.

He changed the direction of his pacing.

"No, actually I see blue and white flowers," he said, closing his eyes to picture it. "I'm watching them burst into flames. They're calling for… Motherbird?"

Ahsoka's confusion turned to a sickening heartache as she felt Haki dig up her pain. It was the first command she'd ever been given. They fell over Ryloth. The Squadron she'd lead to their deaths.

"It was your fault, wasn't it?" He asked. The inkling of sympathy lacing his voice aggravated her all the more. "You failed them."

"Shut up," she hissed, doubling her efforts to find his presence and throw him out.

"It's alright, Padawan. Their lives shouldn't have been your responsibility. That decision was on the Jedi council. Not you."

Her fists clenched and unclenched as her anger grew. "No it wasn't, their lives were on me. I don't blame others for my mistakes. I own up to them…unlike you."

With that jab, he halted his pacing. He grit his teeth. Then, she felt him plunder further into her memories and she flinched, trying her best to redirect his efforts. He was now stiff in the room, his mental escapades becoming more acute, more aggressive.

"I see a youngling… Kahlifa," he arrived at the name with a sigh. "Tell me, was her death on you or the Jedi council?"

Images of a filthy jungle planet and a pale faced youngling pierced the surface of Ahsoka's mind. She could hear the blood curdling war cries of Trandoshan hunters and the fragile dying breaths of her friend who didn't make it. The hurt of the memory cystallised, feeling as fresh as when she had lived it. Ahsoka stumbled over her next retort.

"Don't you dare say her name…" she said, wincing with the effort of holding him at bay.

"She told you to take care of the others, but that shouldn't have been your responsibility either," he insisted. "The council abandoned them just like they abandoned me and just like they'll abandon you someday."

"I said shut up!" Ahsoka cried out, more as a reflex than a rebuttal.

"You'll continue believe that you're one of them, right up until the day they leave you for dead! That's what happened to me and that's exactly what happened to Kahlifa-"

"You're not her. You're not even half the Jedi she was," Ahsoka grounded out with a clenched jaw.

She felt his muscle contract. His nostrils flared.

"Enough of these distractions. You weren't assigned to the citadel mission, correct?"

Ahsoka nearly burst out laughing. To her immense luck, their spies had faulty intel. The fact of the matter was that Haki was ultimately correct. She hadn't been assigned to the mission; not really.

"No," she said, hoping that her denial would sell the charade.

"Liar," he replied almost before she'd said a word. "So you weren't there. But you knew Master Piell, correct?"

Ahsoka was too exhausted from her mental acrobatics to even think of how to best answer that. Her silence only bought her a few seconds to prepare.

"I'll take that as a yes." As soon as Haki confirmed it, she felt him leap into one last deep dive into her thoughts and memories.

His path was no longer meandering. He was on the hunt now, in search for the mourning of Evan Piell's death. It was the first and hardest memory she'd been forced to bury during the exchange. Ahsoka felt him breeze over all of the hurt and suffering she'd witnessed, all the lives she'd lost. All she could do to stall him, was to surrender her most painful memories and hope that it would overwhelm him before it overwhelmed her.

She offered up the memory of Obi Wan falling from a building as she raced toward him. Made sure that Haki felt her distress the moment she couldn't find his pulse. She threw at him the names of all the troopers she had befriended and subsequently lost during the war, recalling their bright spirits and individuality. Even as Haki persevered, Ahsoka let the memories flow freely, opening the flood gate of her collective experiences. Then she felt something strange.

It was his presence. For the first time, she could actually sense his force signature, unclouded by the thick veil he normally surrounded himself in. 

When she finally felt what kind of force was surrounding him, what kind of person he'd become, she been forced to reevaluate the comparisons she'd drawn between himself and Anakin. Haki was one to parade his pain, like his suffering made him more righteous than others. Ahsoka could never see her Master wearing his heartache like a badge of honour. In fact, she knew that he actively hid it, as if he were weaker for having such painful experiences. Upon further inspection of these methodologies, she concluded that neither would work for her. So Ahsoka forged ahead to carve out her own strategy.

Straightening herself, she leaned down into the face of the separatist spy.

"You don't get to play the victim to justify your actions," she said, clear and articulated enough to make her Master's Master proud. "Regardless of what you've been through, the choices you make are still yours."

Haki visibly flinched as she launched her memories at him.

_Padme's arm wrapping around her for reassurance as Ahsoka accompanied her to Alderaan._

_The sickening thud as she kicked the Trandoshan Hunter off of a balcony and to his death._

_A magnificent castle crashing around her as the Father disappeared, the Son's limp body at his side._

_The gentle tone of Anakin's voice as he finally accepted her as his Padawan on Christophis._

Ahsoka threw at him more than just her pain now. She surrendered her triumphs, her happiness, her guilt and her shame. A thousand sights and sounds, both important and intimate bombarded the intruder in her mind.

"What is this… who - " he said. From the discomfort in his voice, she knew it was working.

"You think you can see me better now?" She launched back, her memories unleashed more freely now. "Think again."

_Barriss gripped her hand in the light of their lightsabers, her breathing shallow and ragged._

_The smoke and fire inside Kohma's house burning her lungs as she called out her name._

_Anakin shaking Tarkin's hand on the Jedi Temple platform on Coruscant._

_Her giddy joy at the smile of a young Separatist boy with his mother on Raxus -_

"What? Bonteri - " This time, Haki's temporary surprise gave Ahsoka the opportunity she'd been waiting for to snap the connection. She unleashed a mental repulse, pushing him back outside the gates of her defences.

The energy of the exchange whipped backwards and Ahsoka felt her body sag with exhaustion, her forehead coated in sweat. Haki collapsed to the floor of the cell, barely managing to catch himself on one knee.

"How…" he wheezed, catching his breath. "How did you know the Bonteri's?"

Too shocked to wonder why he was asking, Ahsoka answered honestly.

"Lux Bonteri is a friend of mine. I met him and his mother on Raxus."

His signature was harder to read with a cloud of exhaustion blocking the way but his body was trembling - from what, she couldn't tell.

"Were you there when she died?"

The accusation hit her like a stone column, trapped under his judgement.

"No. The senator and I were on Coruscant..." her chest collapsed in on itself one more time as Ahsoka felt the usual regrets and 'what ifs' pass through her mind.

"And his father?" He asked quietly. She could've sworn it sounded like a plead.

"I never met him - I only know that he died defending the Argonar Outpost," she responded. "Why does it matter to you?"

Haki clutched his chest with one hand and planted his fist into the ground to help himself stand up. The boy dragged himself out of the room, leaning on the side of the wall for support.

"It's nothing," he replied quietly. "I just didn't expect you to know them…"

The young Togrutan man stepped through the doorway, letting the ray shield fall closed behind him without looking back. The droid manning the cell moved forward, offering him assistance. He waved it off as his com link beeped with the drawling voice of Count Dooku.

"Phoenix 4, report in with your progress. Or do you require more time with the Padawan?"

"No, I have what I need. Her concern for her Master was greater than her concern for the others. I'm also led believe that Skywalker was on good terms with Evan Piell's Captain by the end of the mission. That could be a sign that he has what we need."

"What?" Ahsoka wheezed. "No, that's not -"

"Excellent work, Phoenix 4. Meet me at Skywalker's cell. Phoenix 3's success has been limited with Kenobi, even after the more advanced methods. We have some… options for you to consider before the next round of interrogations."

The unsettling optimism in the Count's statements set her mind alight. This was not the result she had intended after all she'd done to keep Haki from to the intel. But her speech and response times had become so lethargic that she could barely vocalise her distress. Anakin had no information except that _she_ was the one who had what they wanted. And if she knew her master, he would break before he bent.

"Haki…" she called out. "Don't - "

But the boy had already begun his long march down the corridors of the Separatist vessel.

And once again, Ahsoka was alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! I'm back! Thank you to everyone for your patience with this - I am finished with exams this year and am ready to roll out chapters on a (sort of) regular basis again. I'm so excited to see both returning readers and new readers find an interest in this story. It's also very funny and heartwarming watching new readers binge it in time for the newest upload (only to then wait another few months for the next chapter... whoops...)
> 
> So yeah! Your comments are greatly appreciated, I have a lot of fun reading them and I love seeing where people think the story is headed.


	37. The Currency of War

Rex felt his heart sink when CT-3387 never returned to the troopers shared cell. According to the other shinies, he'd never adopted a name for himself. Rex sighed, knowing that now, he'd never get the chance to. A gnawing sense of fear had settled over the cell as soon as the droids had started their bio-scans. They all sensed something was wrong - it always was when the lives of his brothers were prioritised into numbers and rank. His gaze fell to the remaining shiny's, sitting flat against the cell wall as they shifted uncomfortably. Their heads would snap upwards in alert at the sounds of approaching footsteps. As he inspected their grimy faces, Rex recognised the shiny he recalled as Torq, looking pale and clammy. But despite this, his good arm was draped over his brothers in an attempt to calm their collective nerves.

"Kix," Rex muttered at the 501st medic. Kix was propped against the wall opposite himself, lingering just behind Cody. For the entire time of their imprisonment, the 212th commander had insisted on keeping track of the rotation of the guards and their patrolling patterns. His tired eyes remained fixed on the end of the corridor, diligent to note which direction the droids were going to and from. Rex had agreed to help in this endeavour by positioning himself on the other side of the entrance. But no one else had approached since the Separatist called "Phoenix 3" had summoned 3387. And by now, it was all but confirmed that he wasn't coming back.

"Captain Rex?" Kix responded. His formality set him apart in lax and loose 501st battalion. However, that pedantic nature could quickly turn into a spectacular disregard for the rule of command whenever his medical expertise wasn't heeded by his superiors. Even General Skywalker and Commander Tano were wary not to cross him - but Rex suspected that with the amount of times those two had ignored their own injuries during battle, that those they were likely the whole reason for Kix's diligence about it in the first place.

"Torq's looking a bit rough," Rex said, nodding his head in the Shiny's direction.

"We're all looking a bit rough," Fives sassed from beside him. "Torq looks half dead."

"But he's not," Tup piped up quietly. Fives turned to see his usually upbeat brother with his head between his legs, not even bothering to speak louder to compensate for the muffled sound. "He's not dead yet at least…"

It appeared that Fives had trouble responding with cynicism after that because he said nothing but an awkward, "Yeah."

"I'll check on him sir, though I doubt there's much more I can do," Kix responded, inspecting the trooper in question from afar. "It might be worth saving some extra water for him at the next meal, but I can't say for certain how much he'll improve."

Rex nodded, determined not to lose anymore of his men. "We'll do that then."

Kix gave him a quick salute, then marched over to check on the trooper in question.

Pity wasn't the right word for what Rex was experiencing; regret was closer. But these words failed to capture how deeply personal the weight on his chest was. He regretted the fact that these young men were doing the two things that they were born to do; to fight and to die. He wished that they'd gotten to experience more in their lives, beyond their programming. Like the things that he'd learnt from General Skywalker about tinkering with droids, or the nicknames he laughed about with Commander Tano or the sense of accomplishment he'd felt when he finally beat Cody at his own strategy games. Instead, these men would have the sum of their experiences outside of Kamino reduced to nothing but their duty to the Republic.

And although he was aware that it boarded on treason to feel such a way, he knew that wasn't right. He'd known this the moment he'd left the upper atmosphere of Umbarra. The hellish events on that planet had changed everything for them. Now, he found himself actively seeking reasons that they were fighting particular war fronts before his battalion were dispatched to them. It may have been that they were fighting to free Republic citizens from Separatist control or that he was actively protecting them from it. But for some battles, it was harder to justify than others.

On Umbarra, the citizens had been defending their home. They were the invaders. At the time, Rex hadn't thought to question the decision to target the planet. Even when he was on the surface of the planet, he was preoccupied trying to keep his men alive against the ferocity of a rogue Jedi. Now, his resolve faltered at the thought of invading another Separatist homeworld like it. He couldn't quite feel the same commitment to the reasons for capturing a planet like that. After Umbarra, his point of reference was skewed. His moral compass pointed in the opposite direction to where he was commanded to go. In those situations, the only justifiable reason he could come up with to push himself onwards, was that he was just following orders.

And if he was being brutally honest with himself, that scared him. For all that he believed in the Jedi and what the Republic stood for, he still couldn't tell which lines they were prepared to cross to win this war. A question he'd started asking himself was if the droid army weren't droids - if they were living, breathing soldiers like him - would he feel the same way? Would he go to the same lengths that Phoenix 3 went to in order to secure a Republic victory? He didn't think so, but the sliver of doubt that invaded his mind caused him more shame than the little thought experiment was worth.

"Two from the left this time," Cody piped up, nodding at the two commando droids just passing their cell on patrol. "That means the next patrol will have food and water."

"3 rotations…" Tup muttered to himself.

"Any plans to jump 'em then?" Fives asked, his head lolling back to look up at the ceiling out of boredom.

Rex glanced at Cody and for the first time in a while, the clone commander peeled his eyes away from the darkened corridors. His eyes flickered over Torq and Kix as the trooper's breathing quickened with the check up. Rex clenched his jaw. He wanted to bust out. He wanted to scheme some brilliant escape plan, find their Jedi and get the hell off of this ship. But doing so now with no idea of where the Generals or Commander were was a reckless move, even by his standards. And were they to do it now, Torq would inevitably fall behind in his current state.

He could accept the consequences of being recaptured or killed whilst trying to escape. He couldn't accept leaving a trooper behind with no choice in the matter.

"Easy, Fives," he replied. "We've waited before, we can wait again. Besides, no sense in starting a prison break on an empty stomach."

Fives heaved a sigh that sounded uncannily like a frustrated 14 year old Padawan Learner they'd adopted into their ranks just over 2 years ago.

"Fine… But we're gonna be the ones busting out first this time. Can't have the generals showing us up again."

That coaxed a laugh out of a few of the Shinies present. Rex smiled at the idea of busting out a grumpy General Skywalker.

"You bet," he finished.

* * *

To his surprise, there was no one else in the observation room when Haki arrived. He was certain that he'd be the last one to arrive after the exhausting interrogation he carried out with the Padawan Learner.

_"_ _My name's Ahsoka? Master Yoda sent me…"_

Haki violently shook his head, trying to detangle himself from the Padawan's - Ahsoka's - lingering memories. His breath became shallow again as flashes of impossible events shocked his brain.

_Three beings more powerful with the force than any Jedi could imagine…_

_The winged goddess of the light. The fanged god of the dark._

_And the one chosen to keep their balance;_ now staring straight at him through the double sided window.

Haki shivered, his mind switching from memory to reality as Anakin Skywalker shifted in his restraints, seeming to notice his presence on the other side of the observation room. The boy quickly focused on building a defensive mist around his presence in the force. Yet as he poured more focus into the task, a flurry of intrusive thoughts that weren't his own begun to crowd his headspace.

_An older woman, with pointed features and a wry yet warm smile. She wore green with short greying hair. "My husband thought as you do now…"_

_"_ _A year ago today, he was defending the Argonar outpost. He fought valiantly in self defence… but was killed."_

_The boy's face he once recognised as polite and naive now contorted in spite in his vision._

_"_ _Count Dooku murdered my mother!"_

_No… no he can't have, it was a Jedi who murdered her…_

"Haki?"

The boy woke with a start, swatting aside the hand that hovered just above his shoulder.

He backed away from the noise but as soon as he did, he calmed instantly, recognising the figure as Vance.

"What in the - Vance…" He heaved, clutching his chest. "Please don't do that when I'm concentrating."

The older woman stood back, arms folded and eyes skeptical.

"You normally notice me when I'm ten paces outside the room let alone when I'm three feet from you," she objected.

"Yeah, well I've been a little preoccupied today upon _someone's_ request," he shot back, but the sentence held little of the bite that he'd intended it to have. Upon regaining his cool, he was grateful that it didn't.

"Of course..." She replied, a little more gentle with her tone this time. "Are you doing alright?"

Vance wasn't a stranger to softening her behaviour but the waver in her voice clued him in that perhaps she was the one who wasn't doing alright. But he held his tongue, confident that if it was anything major, that she'd tell him in her own time.

"I extracted what I could from the Pada - from Ahsoka," he said, keen for the flashes of memories to cease. "I think Skywalker is the nut we need to crack. But he's been resilient to say the least."

Haki finished his sentence as recollections of "The Chosen One" at his full potential rose once again - his eyes glowing, his voice bellowing with the echo of the force itself. Haki had initially pegged him as an overzealous brat of the order who's his self importance blinded him to the true ways of the Jedi. But after seeing into Ahsoka's mind, his entire view of the man was turned upside-down. After seeing what he could be, Haki found his reluctance to enter the same room as the man increase ten fold, let alone his reluctance to provoke and interrogate him.

"Yes. After my time with Kenobi, I doubt he'll bend to the other methods either…" Vance confided quietly.

As Haki took a moment to truly inspect her, he noticed that her arms were folded to prevent her hands from shaking. Something had happened.

"Vance," he said, turning his body to face her. "What happened."

She held away from his proximity but eventually met his eyes. With the help of the sterile light leaking into the room, he could tell that hers were ever so slightly glossed over.

"I almost had him; Kenobi. But as soon as I cornered him, he shut off. I didn't know what else to do. Count Dooku instructed the droids to categorise the clones. He said to use them if all else failed but…" Her sentence trailed off as she squeezed her eyes shut.

Haki sighed, lifting his hand to her shoulders as she'd done for him just before. Although the two of them shared a significant distaste for the Jedi Order, neither of them held the same spite towards their clone troopers. Those men were merely born into this war; just like the younglings of the Order, they had little choice of what their role was within it. And upon discovering the news that his sadistic Former Jedi Master was gunned down by his own clone troopers, Haki had developed a great deal of respect and admiration for them. Having to treat the clones as pawns wasn't something either of them liked doing. But at times, it seemed unavoidable.

Vance continued on, her voice struggling to stay steady as her muscles tensed.

"I had the trooper in the cell. He didn't even have a name, just a number. But he was so scared and still Kenobi wouldn't - so I had to, I - "

"Vance, look at me," Haki instructed. "Three deep breaths, remember?"

She didn't breathe at all for a moment as she scrutinised his features. Then eventually, she followed his advice and with each breath her expression became more controlled, more nuanced.

"When did _you_ get good at this?" She asked with a chuckle. "I thought this was my job."

Haki let her go, backing away to give her some space.

"That's just what happens when you're teacher and not the student; One day I was bound to get better at this than you."

She smiled, her sarcasm peeling away the layers of hurt in her next sentence.

"If only Bonteri could see us now, I wonder if he'd say the same."

The topic caught Haki off guard and he broke away from her gaze, willing away the jumbled mess of memories of the man whom he'd come to see as an uncle and the images of a Togrutan who wasn't him meeting with his family.

"You know that Phoenix One wouldn't have used the clones," he confirmed.

"No. He was better than that," she sighed dejectedly. "But it's not like I could - " Vance stopped, preventing herself from saying more.

Haki tilted his head. "Could what?"

"I shouldn't say it here. He would sense it."

The boy stepped closer again, raising a curious eyebrow at Vance.

"So long as I'm here, he won't be able to. You're safe; Speak your mind."

Although she glanced back at the door, Haki was well aware that the Sith Lord was nowhere near the cell as of yet. Tardiness was an uncommon look for Count Dooku but being the leader of the Separatist Alliance meant that some calls were just that important.

"I didn't use the clones because I was out of options. I was under direct orders to use them if I failed to obtain information another way. But I knew that if a Jedi Master wasn't going to budge for the life of one clone, they're unlikely to do so for the life of two or three or more…"

Her speech fell out from underneath her as her arms shivered. Vance took another deep breath, continuing with more vigour.

"Before summoning us here, he wanted me to use the same method again. I advised him that now we know Jedi's boundaries that it wouldn't be anything other than a waste of life. But he insisted. And now he wants to test the interrogation drones on Skywalker. It's - "

He noticed her feet clench, apparently of their own accord. She looked over to the Jedi, who was eyeing the window up and down as if trying to trace the outline of where his sabre would cut through it.

"It's unnerving," She finished.

Haki took a moment to process the information. Count Dooku was not necessarily a vitreous man. He was the person leading the Separatists into war - it hardly takes a man of sound virtue to do so. No; What Count Dooku was, was ambitious and disciplined. His guidance was the sole reason why Haki was able to hone his mental manipulation skills as well as he had. But even he was becoming irked by the newest revelations of the man. In these last few day, he'd witnessed his enjoyment of hurting others even more so than hunting them down; seen his general nonchalant attitude towards the rights of living beings. Throughout this entire interrogation process, he'd conducted himself without the proper weight or ceremony that such demoralising tasks required.

Haki knew that he would be expected to pick apart Skywalker's mind from the inside with the aid of whatever new Republic or Separatist innovations the Count had to offer. But knowing that Ahsoka had done everything she could to help Bonteri's wife attempt to find a peaceful resolution to the war and had, on multiple occasions, helped to guide his son away from a path of danger made his job that much more difficult. Now everything he had once felt certain about the man who lead their government was coming into question. Was he actually responsible for Mina Bonteri's death? Or was that merely another piece of Jedi propaganda that Lux had fallen for? Whatever the truth was, if he was too busy trying to convince his own mind not to turn on their appointed leader, how could he convince Skywalker not to do the same?

Suddenly, his senses flashed him a warning as he picked up a darkened force signature walking down the nearest corridor.

"We'll discuss this later, he's almost here. For now, play along however you can but only ask him relevant questions while I'm around - that way we can tell if he's lying."

Vance stiffened but nodded solemnly. As they heard footsteps nearing the door, she picked up the end of could have been a feasible conversation between them.

"If it were me, I'd investigate Skywalker's relations to the Senator of Naboo. His psychological evaluation indicates that there may be something more to that friendship than meets the eye - "

The doors hissed open and Count Dooku waltzed into the room, flanked by two hulking Magna Guards as per usual. The two of them stood at attention, saluting as soon as he acknowledged their presence.

"An excellent observation Phoenix 3. At ease," he drawled, his eyes scanning the room to fixate on Skywalker. The two of them dropped their hands behind their backs in a formal manner.

"I've been advised to use Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker as a test subject for the latest interrogation technology stolen from Republic facilities. I leave this responsibility to you, Phoenix 4. The drone should have all of the tools and substances that you require. Determine what state you'll need Skywalker in where his mind will surrender the intel willingly and without question. Then proceed."

The Jedi Knight was now pitched forward against his restraints, glaring straight at the Count. It was the same expression as he'd seen across many of Ahsoka's darkest memories; one that seemed to burn him up from the inside. There was no chance for Haki to mask Count Dooku's swelling darkness through the force. But there was little reason to; Anakin Skywalker, the chosen one himself, understood that there was nothing he could do to prevent this unwanted visitation.

"Sedatives first," Haki replied. "We'll need to be on even ground for this battle. And I have a feeling the only way that's going to happen is if I he doesn't know he's in one."

Vance looked over at him, with what could've been read as intrigue but he knew her well enough to read her concern. Meanwhile, the Count finally broke off his staring contest with Skywalker to voice his approval.

"Good. Phoenix 3 will provide you with a full psychological analysis. Use it," the Sith Lord replied, sounding pleased with the idea. But as he begun to walking towards the doors, he stopped by Haki's montrals, leaning in close. "Don't return from his cell until you have something of value. Is that understood?"

Haki bit his tongue and could do little else but nod. "Yes, my lord."

The elderly man hummed in response and exited the room, leaving Haki and Vance cornered between two terrifying force wielders, unsure of which one would rip them to pieces first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah, is that an update one week apart? It really is the giving season it seems - hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always, I love reading your reviews and seeing you guys piece the connections together! Until next time!


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